police • A health-care professional had not been provided with a consultation room to meet with a person deprived of their liberty. Usually the consultation takes place in the cell of the person deprived of their liberty, and the health-care professional is accompanied by a guard for security. The Deputy-Ombudsman recommended that the guards at the police prison pay particular attention to a person’s right to privacy when receiving medical care or an examination. This right should be respected without the person deprived of their liberty having to ask to see a health-care professional without the guard present. When security concerns require the presence of a guard, the situation should be arranged in collaboration with the care staff so that the right to privacy of the person deprived of their liberty is compromised as little as possible. The Deputy-Ombudsman recommended that when planning the future renovation of a detention facility, the question of providing a consultation room for health-care professionals be resolved so that they could consult with their patients outside the cells. Follow-up: The police department responded that a separate consultation room would be added in conjunction with the next major renovation. The police department will also instruct the police prison staff to pay special attention to detained persons’ right to privacy when receiving medical care. Restrictions on communication • It became apparent on reviewing the documentation in many of the police prisons that the grounds for the restriction of communication imposed by the police were often insufficient or nonexistent. The Deputy-Ombudsman stressed that when imposing restrictions on communication, the specific grounds for the restrictions must be documented. Follow-up: The police department responded that the decision on the restriction of communication is made by a police officer authorised to make arrests. The police department had urged heads of investigations and general managers to be more accurate and specific and to make sure that the grounds for a decision are correctly and fully recorded on the coercive measures form. The implementation of training and guidelines in practice will be monitored through line manager supervision and inspections carried out by the legal unit of the police department. 27

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