Torture, Coercive Interrogations and Cruel and Degrading Treatment

This paper sets out the UKPTS’s position on the responsibilities that anyone working in the field of psychotraumatology has in situations which may involve torture, coercive interrogations, or other forms of cruel and degrading treatment.

The full document is available to download below. The introduction explains why the paper is needed:

We have produced this document for several reasons. Primarily, this is because to date we are unaware of any statement or guidance made with the benefits of being a multi-professional group specialising in psychological trauma. The UKPTS are a multi-disciplinary body where each profession has their own ethics codes, which may differ between professions. Whilst only some of our members are involved in the care and treatment of those who have been tortured we consider that the topic is important enough to warrant being explicit about the societies’ view on this subject.

Production of this guidance involved a number of tasks. First, the UKPTS had to agree on a definition not just of torture but of what this means in practice, paying attention to specific and widely used practices that others have claimed do not constitute torture. Second, we formed out position regarding the involvement of our members in such practices. This included a brief examination of the efficacy of torture. Finally, we sought to offer guidelines for training and supervision of UKPTS members who may, involuntarily or unwittingly, find themselves in contact with torture.

To meet these aims this document includes an overview of other associations’ ethical principles and the history of these. The existing guidance varies and appears to give a different weight to different ethical principles. Some (since revised) have resulted in allowing the active participation of their members in what the UKPTS regard as torture.