PART 2: Procedures of the Human Rights Commitee and the Committee against Torture more credible if it includes salient details. For example, it is essential to describe the relevant acts of ill-treatment, rather than to simply say that the victim was subjected to “torture”. Do not make any assumptions about the implications that the relevant treaty body should draw from the facts as presented. Emotional language, bald assertions without supporting evidence, and assumptions will detract from the credibility of the account. For example, the following are examples of relevant details in a scenario where a victim is arrested by police, driven to a place of detention, detained in a cell, and subjected to ill-treatment:247 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 How many police officers were involved in a particular assault? What type of vehicle did the officers drive? What time of day was the victim arrested? How long did it take to get from the place of arrest to the place of detention? Did anyone witness the arrest?248 What was said to the victim at the time of the arrest? Approximately how big was the cell in which the victim was held?249 Was any other detainee in the cell? Was there any light in the cell?250 Other relevant details of the cell (describe bed, colour and state of walls, fixtures etc.).251 Where did the ill-treatment take place (e.g. in the cell, elsewhere)? 252 If a device was used to torture the victim (e.g. a device that delivers an electric shock), describe the device (e.g. size, shape, colour, the way it worked, its effect on the victim).253 What, if anything, was said to the victim at the time of the ill-treatment?254 If possible, identify the perpetrators of the ill-treatment, or describe what they looked like.255 Give details of visits, if any, received from any lawyer or doctor during the time of the arrest. These details have been adapted from Giffard (2000), pp. 40–46. See Model Complaint, Textbox ii, para. 2. See Model Complaint, Textbox ii, para. 3. Ibid. Ibid. See Model Complaint, Textbox ii, para. 4. Ibid. See Model Complaint, Textbox ii, paras. 4, 5. See Model Complaint, Textbox ii, para. 2. 85