Routledge

Routledge

English

'An impressive analysis of the complexity of psychological torture. It addresses the definition of torture, its effects on the victim and the documentation of psychological torture. It argues robustly for a revision of the definition and for updating the Istanbul Protocol. Strongly recommendable to all health professionals, jurists and scholars who deals with aspects of torture.' Hans Draminsky Petersen, former member and vice-chair person of the UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture 'Pau Pérez-Sales has carefully laid out a well-developed theoretical framework in his latest book that clearly cannot be ignored by scholars, students and practitioners in legal, humanitarian and health fields dealing with survivors of ill-treatment and (psychological) torture. Monitors of National preventive mechanisms and similar bodies using the 1999 Istanbul Protocol, from whatever professional back ground aiming to stop torture, should all have a copy.' Joost J den Otter, Detention doctor at the International Committee of the Red Cross and Former Clinical Director at the International Rehabilitation Centre for Torture Victims, Denmark. “As researchers and social scientists, it becomes even more of a necessity to move beyond each individual’s interpretation of the word to an operational definition. It is difficult to study what we cannot define. This is just one of the tasks that Pérez-Sales undertakes when he attempts to work towards a description of how we might operationalize, measure, and evaluate the presence and impact of psychological torture.” Robert Bischoff, PhD, MBA, Clinical Psychologist as a civilian for the Air Force Security Forces, attached to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas