Prisoners held under England's antiterrorism legislation face psychological damage
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《英国医生杂志》
People detained under the Antiterrorism Crime and Security Act are facing potentially irredeemable psychological damage, says a research report unveiled at a press conference in London, organised by the prisoners' lawyers, at the Royal College of Psychiatrists last week.
Eight detainees interned at London's Belmarsh Prison because of suspected links with terrorist groups were interviewed for the research. All showed symptoms of severe depression and anxiety, some exhibited psychotic behaviour, and in all cases their mental health was said to have drastically deteriorated during the period of their internment.
The interviews were done for the prisoners' legal counsel by a group of 12 forensic psychiatrists and one psychologist. But although the report was originally commissioned for legal purposes, the doctors "eventually realised that the prisoners shared common symptoms as a direct result of their predicament," said Dr James MacKeith, forensic psychiatrist at the Maudsley Hospital, London. "We would be failing in our duties as medical practitioners if we did not make this information public."
Their findings echo the work of other research into the well-being of asylum detainees in Australia and the United States. All eight of the detainees had been involved in political unrest (in Algeria, Tunisia, and Gaza) and had migrated to England as a result of a perceived threat to their safety. Three had experiences of detention and torture, and these circumstances are understood to have affected their experiences of internment.
But it is their peculiar predicament as detainees under the antiterrorism act that the report seeks to emphasise. The secrecy and lack of due process that the act permits contribute to an exaggerated sense of "hopelessness and helplessness," said Professor Ian Robbins, a clinical psychologist at St George's Hospital, London. Prisoners are detained indefinitely, no specific charges are made against them, they have no opportunity to put their case before a tribunal, and crucial evidence against them is withheld. Professor Robbins described it as "a form of mental torture."
According to the team, the situation is not only disorienting for the prisoner, it is frustrating for the clinician. In all cases crucial background details, such as the nature of the circumstances that led to their detention, remain secret. This poses difficulties for doctors trying to make a referral or helping in an appeal for bail. One psychiatrist described the situation as "Kafka-esque."
"Normally we determine the best course of action for patients on the basis of the risks they pose," said Dr Sophie Davison, a consultant forensic psychiatrist at the York Clinic, Guy's Hospital, London. "But we have no information, so it is impossible."
Last week the House of Lords reviewed antiterrorism legislation, in particular the issue of "proportionality," questioning to what extent it was justifiable to detain individuals indefinitely without charge in the name of national security.
"This report is about the medical effects of overriding such ordinary civil rights," the team said. "There is a strong consensus that indefinite detention is directly linked to deterioration in mental health. We are talking about the visible deterioration of a group of prisoners which is extraordinary to behold, even with our extensive experience."(Madeleine Brettingham)
Eight detainees interned at London's Belmarsh Prison because of suspected links with terrorist groups were interviewed for the research. All showed symptoms of severe depression and anxiety, some exhibited psychotic behaviour, and in all cases their mental health was said to have drastically deteriorated during the period of their internment.
The interviews were done for the prisoners' legal counsel by a group of 12 forensic psychiatrists and one psychologist. But although the report was originally commissioned for legal purposes, the doctors "eventually realised that the prisoners shared common symptoms as a direct result of their predicament," said Dr James MacKeith, forensic psychiatrist at the Maudsley Hospital, London. "We would be failing in our duties as medical practitioners if we did not make this information public."
Their findings echo the work of other research into the well-being of asylum detainees in Australia and the United States. All eight of the detainees had been involved in political unrest (in Algeria, Tunisia, and Gaza) and had migrated to England as a result of a perceived threat to their safety. Three had experiences of detention and torture, and these circumstances are understood to have affected their experiences of internment.
But it is their peculiar predicament as detainees under the antiterrorism act that the report seeks to emphasise. The secrecy and lack of due process that the act permits contribute to an exaggerated sense of "hopelessness and helplessness," said Professor Ian Robbins, a clinical psychologist at St George's Hospital, London. Prisoners are detained indefinitely, no specific charges are made against them, they have no opportunity to put their case before a tribunal, and crucial evidence against them is withheld. Professor Robbins described it as "a form of mental torture."
According to the team, the situation is not only disorienting for the prisoner, it is frustrating for the clinician. In all cases crucial background details, such as the nature of the circumstances that led to their detention, remain secret. This poses difficulties for doctors trying to make a referral or helping in an appeal for bail. One psychiatrist described the situation as "Kafka-esque."
"Normally we determine the best course of action for patients on the basis of the risks they pose," said Dr Sophie Davison, a consultant forensic psychiatrist at the York Clinic, Guy's Hospital, London. "But we have no information, so it is impossible."
Last week the House of Lords reviewed antiterrorism legislation, in particular the issue of "proportionality," questioning to what extent it was justifiable to detain individuals indefinitely without charge in the name of national security.
"This report is about the medical effects of overriding such ordinary civil rights," the team said. "There is a strong consensus that indefinite detention is directly linked to deterioration in mental health. We are talking about the visible deterioration of a group of prisoners which is extraordinary to behold, even with our extensive experience."(Madeleine Brettingham)