CAT/C/CHN/CO/4
page 12
28.
The Committee notes the State party’s efforts to ensure that female prisoners are
supervised by female officers. However, the Committee is concerned about reported incidents of
violence against women in detention centres, including against Tibetan nuns in detention, and
regrets the lack of information on the number of complaints and the measures taken to prevent
torture and ill-treatment of women in places of detention (arts. 12, 13 and 16).
The State party should ensure that procedures are in place to monitor the behaviour
of law enforcement officials. The State party should promptly and impartially
investigate all allegations of torture and ill-treatment, including sexual violence,
with a view to prosecuting those responsible, and providing redress and
compensation to the victims.
Use of violence in the implementation of the population policy
29.
The Committee notes again with concern the lack of investigation into the alleged use of
coercive and violent measures to implement the population policy (A/55/44, para.122). While
taking note of the information provided by the delegation of the State party that local officials in
Lingyi City have been held accountable for using such coercive and violent measures, the
Committee is concerned about the inadequacy of the sanctions actually taken against these and
other officials who have engaged in similar conduct. It is equally concerned by the fact that
human rights defenders, such as Chen Guangcheng, who have provided legal advice to victims
and publicly denounced the use of coercive and violent measures to implement the population
policy, have been harassed by the authorities, as have his lawyers (arts. 12 and 16).
The State party should implement the population policy in full compliance with the
relevant provisions of the Convention and prosecute those responsible for resorting
to coercive and violent measures in implementing such policy, in particular against
women belonging to ethnic minority groups.
Compensation and rehabilitation
30.
While noting the information provided about victims’ rights to compensation envisaged
in the Law on State Compensation, the Committee notes with concern the extremely small
numbers of cases in which individuals have received such compensation. The Committee
expresses its concern about the limited measures for the rehabilitation of victims of torture,
including sexual violence, trafficking, domestic violence and ill-treatment (art. 14).
The State party should ensure that adequate compensation is provided to victims of
torture and ill-treatment and that appropriate rehabilitation programmes are
provided to all victims of torture, including sexual violence, trafficking, domestic
violence and ill-treatment, including medical and psychological assistance.
Impunity and appropriate penalties for acts of torture
31.
The Committee is deeply concerned that allegations of torture and/or ill-treatment
committed by law enforcement personnel are seldom investigated and prosecuted. The
Committee notes with great concern that some instances of torture involving acts which are