E/CN.4/2001/66/Add.2 page 22 were severely beaten by some 50 prison guards along with members of special forces of the police using wooden clubs and iron bars, some with wires tied around them, for five or six hours. The Director and Subdirector in charge of security were said to have participated in the beatings. One detainee had been seriously wounded. On the same day, he had to appear in front of a judge, who was believed to have ordered him transferred to a hospital. The 70 detainees in the cell all bore visible and recent marks (bruises, haematomas and scratches on various parts of the body) consistent with their allegations. They claimed that five detainees, who were said to be in bad shape and whose names were given to the Special Rapporteur, had been taken out of the cell just before the Special Rapporteur arrived. The guards said that the detainees had been taken to the Forensic Medical Institute, but would be brought back to Muniz Sodré the same night if vehicles were available. The Special Rapporteur waited for several hours but the detainees did not appear. The Director assured him that the five detainees would be brought back. 61. That night, the five detainees (Jailson Thaumaturgo da Rocha Junior, Alexandre Arantes, Flavio Ailton da Silva, Paulo Sergio Souza de Oliveira and Roberto da Costa Santiago) were individually interviewed by the Special Rapporteur. They confirmed the allegations made by their co-inmates. They also confirmed that they had been examined by doctors of the IML in the absence of any guards. All had severe injuries, some of which had required stitches, and large bruises (see annex). Finally, they confirmed that the one whom they believed had been the most seriously injured had been taken to court, from which he was said to have been sent directly to hospital. The Special Rapporteur asked the Director to find out where this detainee was currently held. After about an hour, the Director indicated that he had been transferred to Vieira Ferreira Neto penitentiary. According to the Director, this detainee had been taken there because he would otherwise have been subjected to violence from other inmates. Because of the testimonies he received from his co-inmates, who were extremely worried about his whereabouts and well-being, the Special Rapporteur does not think that this was a plausible explanation of his transfer to another detention facility. In Vieira Ferreira Neto penitentiary, the Special Rapporteur was able to interview Alexandre Madado Pascoal (see annex), who appeared to be extremely weak and to suffer intense pain. He confirmed having been brought to the prison that night, around midnight. With the diligent help of the officer-in-charge of Vieira Ferreira Neto, Alexandre Madado Pascoal was taken on a stretcher to a medical unit, where a doctor, shocked, ordered his transfer to hospital. Informed of the situation by the Secretary of State for Justice, the Assistant-Secretary for Human Rights and the Head of Security for the Penitentiary System joined the Special Rapporteur at 2.00 a.m. and recorded the testimonies of Alexandre Madado Pascoal. They assured him that he would receive proper medical treatment and be protected against reprisals. The Special Rapporteur was also informed at that time that the Secretary for Justice had already decided to remove the Director of Muniz Sodré and his head of security, pending investigation. The Special Rapporteur specifically asked the authorities to take the necessary measures, including the opening of a criminal investigation into allegations of torture. This incident is the subject of direct follow-up with the Government. 3. A pre-trial juvenile detention centre 62. Juvenile offenders in the State of Rio de Janeiro are held in institutions under the jurisdiction of the Secretariat of Justice and, more specifically, Departamento Geral de Açöes Socio-Educativas - DEGASE (General Department for Socio-Educational Measures).