Collective reparation and rehabilitation after torture.
The last years have seen a growing focus on international criminal justice, on victims’ rights to justice and on the right to reparation. Redress after gross human rights violations, such as torture, may include a number of different forms of reparation, such as symbolic measures, economic compensation, collective reparation and rehabilitation after torture.
What do we know about all those around the world today that are presenting their cases, their experiences of loss, torture and ill-treatment before the courts, national or international ones? What are their experiences during the process and after? What do the results of the trial mean in their lives? These are some of the questions that will be raised in this presentation.
There are a lot of trials taking place today, dealing with human rights violations. Some of these deal with recent violations, others with violations that have taken place many years ago, such as the trials taking place in Cambodia, in Argentina, Chile and Peru. We do not know a lot about the experiences of people facing the courts, or who are in the process of presenting complaints, gather evidence or in other ways preparing the process. A review of some studies done, together with presentation from my own ongoing research on victims’ perception of justice in Peru and Argentina will form the empirical background of my presentation. Issues in relation both to procedural and substantive aspects of the right to justice and reparation will be discussed from a psychological point of view.
