In a world that now more openly acknowledges the global risk of torture and other ill treatment, state forces and other actors continue to question its absolute prohibition and still attempt to justify its use. Many organizations and governments have taken laudable steps, over the last thirty years, to prevent all abuses in detention but independent evidence of their impact was lacking. Although torture has been the object of numerous studies, none has looked at which measures have the greatest effect in reducing the risk of torture, if at all. In 2012, the Association for the Prevention of Torture (APT) commissioned an independent academic global research project to address this big question: does torture prevention work?
In July 2016, Dr. Richard Carver and Dr. Lisa Handley published the results of their research. The study of 16 countries over a 30-year period (1985-2014) uses a new methodology developed by the authors, combining both quantitative and qualitative methods to assess the impact of torture prevention measures. The study analyses more than 60 preventive measures and identifies which of them have a particular effect on the occurrence of torture. The global conclusion of the research is that, yes torture prevention works, and that some measures are more effective than others in reducing the risk of torture.
The four-year multi-country research project, although commissioned by the APT, was conducted in full independence by the two main authors. The 60 “independent variables” based on legal obligations contained in relevant international or regional treaties and recommendations were divided into four main groups: 1) detention; 2) prosecution; 3) monitoring; and 4) complaints mechanisms.
