CPT/Inf (2012) 6 Report to the German Government on the visit to Germany carried out by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) from 25 November to 7 December 2010 The German Government has requested the publication of this report and of its response. The Government’s response is set out in document CPT/Inf (2012) 7. Strasbourg, 22 February 2012 - 2 - CONTENTS Copy of the letter transmitting the CPT’s report............................................................................4 I. INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................5 A. Dates of the visit and composition of the delegation ..............................................................5 B. Establishments visited...............................................................................................................6 C. Consultations held by the delegation and co-operation.........................................................7 D. Development of a National Preventive Mechanism ...............................................................9 II. FACTS FOUND DURING THE VISIT AND ACTION PROPOSED ..............................10 A. Police establishments ..............................................................................................................10 1. Preliminary remarks ........................................................................................................10 2. Ill-treatment .....................................................................................................................11 3. Safeguards .......................................................................................................................12 4. Conditions of detention ...................................................................................................15 5. Other issues......................................................................................................................16 B. Detention of foreign nationals under aliens legislation........................................................17 1. Preliminary remarks ........................................................................................................17 2. Ill-treatment .....................................................................................................................19 3. Conditions of detention ...................................................................................................19 4. Contacts with the outside world ......................................................................................20 5. Health care.......................................................................................................................21 6. Staff .................................................................................................................................21 7. Information and assistance to foreign nationals ..............................................................22 C. Prisons ......................................................................................................................................23 1. Preliminary remarks ........................................................................................................23 2. Ill-treatment .....................................................................................................................25 3. Conditions of detention of juveniles in the prisons visited .............................................25 4. Conditions of detention of adult female prisoners at Schwäbisch Gmünd Prison ..........28 5. Conditions of detention of adult male prisoners at Leipzig Prison and the detached unit of Schwäbisch Gmünd Prison at Ellwangen ................................28 - 3 - 6. Health care.......................................................................................................................29 a. Leipzig Prison Hospital..........................................................................................30 b. health care in the other establishments visited.......................................................31 7. Other issues......................................................................................................................33 a. staff.........................................................................................................................33 b. discipline ................................................................................................................33 c. security-related issues ............................................................................................35 d. contacts with the outside world..............................................................................37 e. prisoners’ representation system ............................................................................38 f. complaints and inspection procedures ...................................................................39 D. Preventive detention (Sicherungsverwahrung) .....................................................................40 1. Preliminary remarks ........................................................................................................40 2. Unit for preventive detention at Freiburg Prison.............................................................43 3. Unit for preventive detention at Burg Prison...................................................................44 4. Preventive detention at Schwäbisch Gmünd Prison ........................................................45 E. Berlin Juvenile Detention Centre ..........................................................................................46 F. Rheine Forensic Psychiatric Clinic........................................................................................49 1. Preliminary remarks ........................................................................................................49 2. Patients’ living conditions ...............................................................................................50 3. Staff and treatment...........................................................................................................50 4. Seclusion and means of restraint .....................................................................................51 5. Safeguards .......................................................................................................................52 G. The use of surgical castration in the context of treatment of sexual offenders .................54 Appendix I: List of the CPT’s recommendations, comments and requests for information ................57 Appendix II: List of the federal and Länder authorities, organisations and persons with whom the delegation held consultations .......................................................................69 - 4 - Copy of the letter transmitting the CPT’s report Dr Almut Wittling-Vogel Ministerialdirigentin Federal Government Commissioner for Human Rights Matters Federal Ministry of Justice D – 11015 Berlin Strasbourg, 19 July 2011 Dear Ms Wittling-Vogel, In pursuance of Article 10, paragraph 1, of the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, I enclose herewith the report to the German Government drawn up by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) following its visit to Germany from 25 November to 7 December 2010. The report was adopted by the CPT at its 75th meeting, held from 4 to 8 July 2011. The various recommendations, comments and requests for information formulated by the CPT are listed in Appendix I of the report. As regards more particularly the CPT’s recommendations, having regard to Article 10 of the Convention, the Committee requests the German authorities to provide within six months a response giving a full account of action taken to implement them. The CPT trusts that it will also be possible for the German authorities to provide, in the above- mentioned response, reactions to the comments formulated in this report as well as replies to the requests for information made. The Committee would ask, in the event of the response being forwarded in German, that it be accompanied by an English or French translation. I am at your entire disposal if you have any questions concerning either the CPT’s report or the future procedure. Yours sincerely, Lətif Hüseynov President of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment - 5 - I. INTRODUCTION A. Dates of the visit and composition of the delegation 1. In pursuance of Article 7 of the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (hereinafter referred to as "the Convention"), a delegation of the CPT carried out a periodic visit to Germany from 25 November to 7 December 2010. It was the Committee’s sixth visit to Germany1. 2. The visit was carried out by the following members of the CPT: - Timothy DALTON (Head of delegation) - Yakin ERTÜRK - Julia KOZMA - Stefan KRAKOWSKI - Anna SABATOVA - Antonius-Maria VAN KALMTHOUT. They were supported by Michael NEURAUTER, Head of Division, and Stephanie MEGIES of the CPT's Secretariat and assisted by: - Veronica PIMENOFF, psychiatrist, Head of Department of Helsinki University Psychiatric Hospital, Finland (expert) -