- 43 91. The CPT was extremely concerned to learn that many female prisoners at both Thiva Prison and Korydallos Women’s Remand Prison were still being subjected to a vaginal search, every time they left the prison (e.g. to go to court or hospital or to take an educational exam) and upon their return; and this despite the fact that they were always accompanied by at least two prison officers65. Newly admitted or transferred prisoners were also being subjected to a vaginal search and/or being sent to the segregation unit for several days, where the toilet facility was under constant camera surveillance. For example, the delegation met an inmate in the segregation unit of Korydallos Women’s Remand Prison who, upon arrival from Thiva Prison three days earlier, had been strip searched, subjected to a vaginal search by a prison officer (wearing a white coat), given a urine test and placed in isolation. Another inmate explained that upon her arrival at the main gate of Thiva Prison, a prison officer had carried out a vaginal search while she stood naked in the presence of another officer; this search was followed by a second one some 30 minutes later by a nurse. This inmate and others stated that they were told they would be sent to the segregation unit for several days if they refused to agree to a vaginal search. In the report on the 2005 visit, the CPT stated that such an approach was certainly disproportionate and could well be considered as degrading. In their response to that report, the authorities stated that examinations of bodily orifices were only carried out on those prisoners “whom the prison authorities have probable cause to believe, through the production of concrete evidence, that they will make an attempt at bringing into the establishment narcotic substances”. However, the information gathered during the 2009 visit indicates that this is not the case. Examinations of this nature should be conducted exceptionally on the basis of a risk assessment, not routinely. Further, an intimate internal examination should be conducted by a medical practitioner only66, it being understood that this medical practitioner should not be the doctor who would treat the patient with respect to health related issues. Nursing assistants who are prison officers with some limited nursing qualifications or on-the-job experience only should certainly not carry out such examinations. It also goes without saying that examinations of this intimate nature must be conducted in a way that respects, as far as possible, the dignity of the prisoner. 92. In response to the immediate observation on this matter made by the delegation at the end of the visit, the Greek authorities state that all vaginal searches are performed in accordance with the relevant legislation. Further, they state that searches are not compulsory as the inmates must give their written consent; if no written consent is given, no vaginal search will be conducted but the inmate will be transferred to the segregation unit for several days where she will be placed under CCTV surveillance whenever she goes to the toilet. The authorities also state that the measure is only applied to inmates with a specific profile, notably those who are suspected of or have been convicted of drugs offences, or where there is information that they may attempt to smuggle prohibited substances into the prison. 65 66 One woman claimed that when she took an examination in the local town, she was strip searched upon leaving the prison, handcuffed throughout apart from when she was actually sitting the exam and supervised by three prison officers as well as the exam invigilators. Upon her return to prison, she was strip searched and swabbed and told that a vaginal search would be carried out. In the Greek authorities’ response to the report on the 2005 visit, it was stated that all intimate examinations would be carried out by a gynaecologist who was not the treating doctor. However, in neither Thiva or Korydallos Women’s Prisons was this the case in 2009.