NATIONAL REPORT 2016 The situation for victims of torture and ill-treatment The most frequent effects of torture and ill-treatment on victims is a feeling of powerlessness and defencelessness in the face of the arbitrary use of power. The issue of survival becomes acute. Victims who come from poor socioeconomic backgrounds cannot afford an attorney. Even if a lawyer dares file a claim against the perpetrators of torture, he risks being threatened by the State. For instance, the Guaraní communities in Alto Parapeti10 who lived in conditions of slavery and were tortured when they fought for their liberation in 2008, gave up their claim against their ex-landowners due to threats, delays and insufficient financial resources. The victims ITEI documents in prisons seldom have the strength to fully carry out a complaint against perpetrators. However, for many victims just being able to discuss their ordeal to someone willing to listen is an important rehabilitative step. The medical and psychotherapeutic documentation that ITEI provides offers the victims an element of security in a context of arbitrariness and silence of what are happening to them. The ability to speak about what they have lived through gives them a sense of empowerment and to better confront their situation. One of the aims of the Coalition is to encourage and support more victims to denounce and complain against perpetrators of torture. The psychological evaluation in the Istanbul Protocol11 can have a significant rehabilitative value as a therapeutic tool on the victim of torture. This is particularly the case when the victim of torture accuses their perpetrator and the victim is able to personally articulate the detrimental impact of torture on their daily lives. For people who feel vulnerable, but have not given up and have some confidence to speak with a professional, a psychotherapist who respects their confidentiality is a significant step in their road to rehabilitation. In cases of torture in detention, the primary problem is generally a financial one. Detainees lose what little money they have to fund a lawyer. Finding a lawyer who will diligently and competently take up human rights cases is extremely difficult in Bolivia. While the law requires doctors in prisons to examine inmates at arrival and departure from the facilities, in practice, the right to medical examination is not guaranteed. Examinations following torture allegations are not always immediate. Furthermore, they are performed by the Institute of Forensic Investigations (Instituto de Investigaciones Forenses – IDIF), which is subordinate to the Ministry of Justice and therefore lacks the required independence. Due to the shortages of funding, the IDIF requires the victims to cover the costs of their medical examinations. Most forensic doctors and medico-legal professionals claim to know the Istanbul Protocol but fail to apply it. There is no system to monitor or evaluate the quality and effectiveness of these medical examinations. Informational posters on the ocassion of the UN International Day in Support of Torture Victims, 26 June. © courtesy of ITEI page 8