- 37 In most of the above cases, the alleged victims claimed to have sustained visible injuries. However, the CPT’s delegation was unable to substantiate these claims as the time of alleged illtreatment pre-dated the delegation’s visit by several weeks or more, and any lesion which might have been caused would almost certainly have healed in the meantime. Further, as the medical screening upon admission to prison is still not being carried out rigorously, the files in the prisons visited were of little value in assessing treatment received at the time of police custody. For example, at Tripoli Prison the record keeping was scant and at Thessaloniki Diavata Prison there was a lack of proper recordings of injuries upon admission to prison. For instance, as concerns the latter prison, in the case referred to in paragraph 85 (1) below, the prisoner’s medical file did not contain any reference to injuries upon arrival. However, the photo of the prisoner taken at admission clearly showed a laceration underneath the right eye. 84. In this context, it should be noted that in several of the police stations visited, the CPT’s delegation found a large number of non-standard and unlabelled objects in the offices and interview rooms of the security police, such as a crowbar (at Argos Police Station), a rubber baton (at Athens Elefsinas Police Station), large wire cutters and other metal utensils (Athens Acropolis and Omonia Police Stations). There is no legitimate reason for such objects to be kept in rooms used for interviewing suspects. Apart from inviting speculation about improper conduct on the part of police officers, objects of this kind are a potential source of danger to staff and criminal suspects alike. All items seized for the purpose of being used as evidence should always be properly labelled, recorded and kept in a dedicated property store, as indicated by the relevant regulation. The CPT recommends that the Greek authorities ensure that the above precepts are implemented. 3. Complaints against the police and investigations into allegations of ill treatment 85. In the course of the visit, the CPT’s delegation only came across two detained persons who had filed a complaint of alleged police ill-treatment. Case 1 A prisoner interviewed by the delegation at Thessaloniki Diavata Prison claimed to have been severely punched on the head and body during interrogation by members of the Thessaloniki Security Police at Monasteriou Police Station on 7 June 2010. This prisoner further alleged that a cigarette butt was stubbed out on his leg and that his genitals were pulled and squeezed.

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