Rights behind bars: Access to justice for victims of violent crime suffered in pre-trial or immigration detention

Fair Trials, 2019

Deprivation of liberty is amongst the harshest of measures that states can take against individuals and should only be imposed in limited circumstances as a measure of last resort. In addition to the loss of liberty (and the life-changing impact this can have) detaining a person exposes them to the heightened risk of violent crime: according to the World Health Organisation, a shocking 25% of prisoners are victimized by violence each year. Violence in places of detention is much more common than amongst the general population. It can take various forms: it may occur between detainees or be inflicted by officials working in Detention Centres. 

This document is possible thanks to the financial support of the Justice Programme of the European Union.