Torture applied to minors that are in conflict with law, causes of this phenomenon, the physical, psychological and social consequences of torture, opinions of involved institutions in the fight against torture were analyzed in the study report "Torture and ill-treatment against children / minors in the context of juvenile justice: the spread, impact, prevention identification of cases, providing support and reporting. "
The study was conducted by the Center of Human Rights and Rehabilitation Center for Torture victims “Memoria” with methodological and financial support of UNICEF Moldova, EU-UNICEF joint project "Reaching Critical Mass: Consolidation of juvenile justice reforms against torture and other forms of ill-treatment in former Soviet countries (Reaching critical mass: Strengthening juvenile justice reforms against torture and other forms of ill treatment in former Soviet Union countries), implemented with the support of the European Union.
The results obtained from the interviewing of 42 minors in detention, shows alarming inefficiency of existing anti-torture mechanisms, starting from the time of submission of complaints (in person, by lawyer or relatives) until the judgments of legal instances.
The majority (69%) of minors that have been interviewed during the survey claimed that they have been mistreated reporting that they suffered from beatings, prevailing method in statistics of relevant institutions (General Prosecutor Office, Ministry of Internal Affairs), and 31% of respondents have denied or abstained to answer.
Regarding the psychological torture, almost ¾ of minors said they have been threatened with prolonged detention with strong beatings and even death.
According to the data obtained during the study, most of minors (76%) have not submitted complaint, for various reasons, predominantly by lack of confidence in relevant law authorities and fear of being subjected again to torture or ill-treatment measures.
The minors related that they had no real support from prosecutors; being advised to stop further concerned proceedings or even intimidated.
They have not been granted with any legal or psychological assistance, minors, under these conditions, often felt defenseless.
The majority said they rarely had the necessary support from the lawyers appointed to defend them, which have not explained their rights and procedural guarantees.
No one minor has not confirmed that he consulted a doctor, with carrying out a subsequent investigation in order to establish the diagnosis under legal research of torture.
Decisions of national legal instances have no effect on prevention of torture phenomenon and ill-treatment against minors: from very small number of criminal cases (2011-5, in 2012-1), which were submitted to the court (the rest being closed), only in two were issued sentences: one that provides penal fine, the second sentence - conviction with conditional suspension of sentence. In other cases which were examined by the court were issued verdicts of acquittal.
These and other findings of the study and drafted recommendations will be discussed at the Conference's public release of the study report "Torture and ill-treatment against children / minors in the context of juvenile justice: the spread, impact, prevention identification of cases, providing support and reporting "that will take place on April 5, 2013, in Chişinău, S. Lazo, nr 1, str., starting at 10:00 in the conference hall of the National Institute of Justice.