24. 13 June 2017 The Ombudsman, Vlasta Nussdorfer, and her Deputy, Ivan Šelih, also in the role of the Head of the National Preventive Mechanism in Slovenia, attended a press conference to present the main highlights of the work of the National Preventive Mechanism in Slovenia in 2016. The press conference was also attended by three members of the NPM, i.e. the Ombudsman’s advisers, Robert Gačnik and mag. Jure Markič, and a representative of SKUP – Community of Private Institutes, Jure Trbič. The Ombudsman emphasised that planned preventive visits have successfully prevented torture and other cruel treatment, and, following our recommendations, many of the visited institutions have improved their living conditions and treatment of persons deprived of their liberty. Ivan Šelih expressed his satisfaction with the fact that the systematic analysis of recommendations, which was introduced last year, has shown that the vast majority of the 674 NPM recommendations issued in 2016 have been implemented or accepted. Last year, the NPM conducted 80 visits to places of detention. During these visits, the NPM verifies the legal bases for placement, the living conditions, the treatment of detained people, and other conditions and standards. He pointed out the problem of placing people in social care institutions on the basis of court orders. The state must provide for the suitable treatment of people with dementia, and finally update the Mental Health Act as decided by the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Slovenia. A particularly urgent issue is the problem of children and adolescents with combined disorders who are not given adequate paediatric psychiatry treatment and assistance. He expressed his expectation that a single national secure facility for children and adolescents would soon be established. He again pointed out that the Aliens Centre was not a suitable place for accommodating vulnerable groups, especially children, for a long period of time. It is therefore necessary to find an alternative systemic solution for short-term placement, as well as to find systemic solutions in other institutions for longer-term placement. In 2016, in accordance with Article 19 of the Optional Protocol, the NPM participated in the drafting of the new Police Tasks and Powers Act, the Criminal Procedure Act, the Criminal Code (KZ-1E), and other regulations. 25. 26 June 2017 The Ombudsman, her Deputy, Ivan Šelih, and the Ombudsman’s advisers, Robert Gačnik and Liana Kalčina, met with Boštjan Šefic, State Secretary at the Ministry of the Interior, mag. Lado Bradač, Director General of the Police and Security Directorate, and other employees of the directorate: Dr Valter Fabjančič, Head of the Division for Systemic Guidelines and Supervision of the Police; mag. Gregor Hudrič, Head of the Police Complaints Division; and Simon Sihur, mag., Secretary at the Division for Systemic Guidelines and Supervision of the Police. The meeting was held at the Ombudsman’s office and also focused on issues that the Ombudsman had dealt with on the basis of received initiatives and the findings from visits to police stations in the context of implementing the duties and powers of the NPM. 26. 5–6 July 2017 The Deputy Ombudsman, Ivan Šelih, and the Ombudsman’s adviser, mag. Jure Markič, travelled to Podgorica (Montenegro) to attend a meeting of the SEE NPM Network, where they discussed issues concerning healthcare in prisons and psychiatric institutions. The Deputy Ombudsman and Chair to the Legal Group of the SEE NPM Network, Ivan Šelih, emphasised in his opening address that the starting point when assessing the level of healthcare should be the principle that detained people must enjoy the same rights to healthcare as other citizens. This was an unalienable right of every detained person. Only appropriate healthcare can ensure quality of life in a closed institution. Inadequate healthcare may lead to inhuman and degrading treatment. We must not overlook the fact that health services significantly contribute to the prevention of maltreatment, in particular by careful recording of the medical condition of detained people, providing appropriate medical assistance, reacting to possible alarming medical conditions, and preventive activities. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DUTIES AND POWERS OF THE NPM IN 2017 NATIONAL PREVENTIVE MECHANISM UNDER THE OPTIONAL PROTOCOL TO THE UN CONVENTION AGAINST TORTURE AND OTHER CRUEL, INHUMAN OR DEGRADING TREATMENT OR PUNISHMENT 29