PART C – Psychological evaluations for the investigations of torture ... 17 PART C PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATIONS FOR THE INVESTIGATIONS OF TORTURE ALLEGATIONS I. THE OBJECTIVES OF THE PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATIONS In the cases of allegations of torture, psychological evaluations provide critical information and evidences for: • Medico-legal examinations • Political asylum applications • Human rights investigations and monitoring • Clarification of the facts and establishment • Establishing conditions under which false confessions may have been obtained • Identifying the therapeutic needs of the victims • Demonstration the needs for full reparation and redress from the State • Understanding regional practices of torture • Acknowledgement of individual and State responsibility for the victims and their families • Facilitation of prosecution and/or disciplinary sanctions • Preventing impunity. “[...]The overall goal of a psychological evaluation is to assess the degree of consistency between an individual’s account of torture and the psychological findings observed during the course of the evaluation[...]” (Istanbul Protocol, § 261). According to the context and the country where the psychological evaluation takes place, different levels of consistency – for instance low, adequate, high, close-to-certain probability – might be requested. In some countries, the expert is expected to clearly define if the person has been tortured or not. If he or she does not put forward a clear position, this might increase the likelihood of impunity for the perpetrators (as the principle of “in dunio pro reo” – if in doubt, evidence should be interpreted in favor of the suspect- could be applied for the perpetrators). (See § 78 and § 261 in the Istanbul Protocol.)