CPT/Inf (2019) 20 Report to the Slovak Government on the visit to the Slovak Republic carried out by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) from 19 to 28 March 2018 The Slovak Government has requested the publication of this report and of its response. The Government’s response is set out in document CPT/Inf (2019) 21. Strasbourg, 19 June 2019 - 2 - CONTENTS Executive summary ............................................................................................................................ 4 I. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................... 9 A. The visit, the report and follow-up.......................................................................................... 9 B. Consultations held by the delegation and co-operation encountered ................................ 10 C. Immediate observations under Article 8, paragraph 5, of the Convention....................... 11 D. National Preventive Mechanism............................................................................................ 11 II. FACTS FOUND DURING THE VISIT AND ACTION PROPOSED .............................. 12 A. Police custody .......................................................................................................................... 12 1. Preliminary remarks ........................................................................................................ 12 2. Ill-treatment ..................................................................................................................... 12 3. Safeguards against ill-treatment ...................................................................................... 15 a. notification of custody ........................................................................................... 15 b. access to a lawyer .................................................................................................. 16 c. access to a doctor ................................................................................................... 17 d. juveniles deprived of their liberty by the police .................................................... 18 e. information on rights ............................................................................................. 18 4. Conditions of detention ................................................................................................... 19 B. Prisons...................................................................................................................................... 21 1. Preliminary remarks ........................................................................................................ 21 2. Ill-treatment ..................................................................................................................... 24 3. Situation of life-sentenced prisoners at Leopoldov and Banská Bystrica Prisons .......... 25 4. Situation of high-security prisoners at Leopoldov Prison ............................................... 32 5. Conditions of detention of the general prison population at Banská Bystrica Prison ..... 34 a. adult prisoners ........................................................................................................ 34 b. juvenile prisoners ................................................................................................... 37 6. Health care ...................................................................................................................... 38 - 3 - 7. Other issues ..................................................................................................................... 42 a. staff ........................................................................................................................ 43 b. discipline ................................................................................................................ 43 c. security-related issues ............................................................................................ 45 d. contact with the outside world ............................................................................... 46 C. Psychiatric establishments ..................................................................................................... 48 1. Preliminary remarks ........................................................................................................ 48 2. Ill-treatment ..................................................................................................................... 50 3. Patients’ living conditions ............................................................................................... 50 4. Staff and treatment .......................................................................................................... 52 5. Means of restraint ............................................................................................................ 57 6. Safeguards ....................................................................................................................... 61 D. Social care institutions............................................................................................................ 66 1. Preliminary remarks ........................................................................................................ 66 2. Ill-treatment ..................................................................................................................... 67 3. Living conditions ............................................................................................................ 67 4. Staff and treatment .......................................................................................................... 69 5. Means of restraint ............................................................................................................ 70 6. Safeguards ....................................................................................................................... 70 APPENDIX I: List of the establishments visited by the CPT’s delegation ................................................. 73 APPENDIX II: List of the national authorities, other bodies and non-governmental organisations met by the CPT’s delegation ................................................................................................. 74 - 4 - EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In the course of the 2018 periodic visit, the CPT’s delegation reviewed the measures taken by the Slovak authorities to implement the recommendations made by the Committee after previous visits. It paid particular attention to the treatment and safeguards afforded to persons deprived of their liberty by the police and the situation of prisoners in three prisons. In addition, the delegation visited two psychiatric establishments and a social care home. The co-operation received throughout the visit, from both the national authorities and staff at the establishments visited, was excellent. That said, the principle of co-operation also requires that the CPT’s recommendations be effectively implemented in practice. In this respect, the Committee is very concerned by the lack of progress since the 2013 visit in a number of areas, in particular as regards the treatment of detained persons by the police, the situation of life-sentenced prisoners and the regime offered to remand prisoners. Police custody It is matter of serious concern for the CPT that a considerable number of persons who were or had recently been detained by the police – including juveniles – made credible allegations of deliberate physical ill-treatment by police officers (such as kicks and baton blows after the person concerned had been brought under control). The delegation also heard several allegations of threats and verbal abuse. The CPT recommends that police officers throughout the country receive a firm message, which should be repeated at regular intervals, that any form of ill-treatment of persons deprived of their liberty – including verbal abuse and threats – is illegal, unprofessional and will be punished. The Committee is again very critical of the continued practice of handcuffing detained persons to wall fixtures or similar objects in police establishments. Some detainees even alleged having been handcuffed to a fixed object inside secure “designated areas” for up to four hours. The CPT once again calls upon the Slovak authorities to stamp out the practice of handcuffing persons to fixed objects. Several recommendations are also made to reinforce the fundamental safeguards against ill-treatment, in particular the right of effective access to a lawyer as from the very outset of the deprivation of liberty, including for juveniles. The CPT also recommends once again that medical examinations of detained persons always be conducted out of the hearing and – unless the doctor concerned expressly requests otherwise in a given case – out of the sight of police officers. The report notes positively that detained persons were usually shown information sheets on their rights and were requested to attest this fact with their signature. However, the information sheets did not always describe all of the detained persons’ rights to their full extent and, in many cases, the persons concerned had apparently not received a copy of the information sheet. Whilst acknowledging that material conditions in custody cells were, on the whole, satisfactory