when they were examined, glaring differences between the conclusions of Greek doctors with those of the medical members of human rights organisations’ delegations were noted, raising questions about the complicity of medical professionals with the violation of human rights in detention centres (CPT, 2008). The conspicuous oversight of human rights violations by medical professionals in the country could be attributed to the pervasive construction of the image of immigrants as a hygienic threat, which had seeped into Greek welfare services. Through a study on the organisational culture and work values of Greek welfare officers, Psimmenos and Kassimati (2003, p. 368) argue that ‘‘a mix of personal, financial and managerial incentives seem to motivate officials’ behaviour towards implementing discriminatory and quite racist policies which, according to their opinion safeguard Greek society against the incoming ‘threat’’. Adding to this, the limited administrative and financial capacities of the National Health System (ESY) of Greece, further strained by its bureaucratic nature, and the absence of any culturally sensitive services and interpreters who could act as mediators between the doctors and foreigners in need of medical assistance (Chatzimpyros, 2014; Kotsioni, 2009; Kotsioni and Hatziprokopiou, 2008), we can partly explain how the police have managed to disguise ill-treatment over the years. When charges of abuse were investigated by the authorities, the procedures were marred by many flaws, including the lack of promptness and expeditiousness in carrying out investigations, compounded by the fact that there was no adequately resourced police inspectorate (CPT, 2002, 2006, 2008, 2010). Nor was there a credible, independent and effective police complaints mechanism, which might enable allegations of ill-treatment by law enforcement officials being investigated thoroughly and, where appropriate, prosecuted rigorously.57 According to the 2008 Decree on Police Discipline, investigations into allegations of physical ill-treatment were normally initiated and carried out by the same local police force to which the accused police officer belongs, raising questions about the transparency of the procedure (CPT, 2010; see also Amnesty International, 2012β). In a glaring case, the Judicial Council of the Misdemeanours Court of Athens did not refer to trial three police officers who were accused of ill-treating two Pakistani nationals. Despite See, for instance, 2006 Annual Report (The Greek Ombudsman, 2007) and 2007 Annual Report (The Greek Ombudsman, 2008). Sitaropoulos (2017) also includes a wide range of cases where the European Human Rights Court found that the Greek police had not carried out a proper investigation into the basic facts of the incidents. 57 87