Protecting Survivors of Torture and Ill-Treatment: Dignity, Violence and Human Rights in Poor Communities

This project examines the attempts of human rights groups to promote the dignity of people living in poverty in the face of violence. It does so through an interdisciplinary study of the challenges involved in protecting survivors of torture and ill-treatment in low-income countries. People living in poor and marginal communities are often particularly vulnerable to torture and ill-treatment, but at the same time, face serious obstacles accessing justice. Above all, they can fear reprisals and stigmatisation if they seek legal redress. Adequate protection mechanisms are, therefore, a crucial part of ensuring the dignity of survivors. The project engages with human rights activists, lawyers and policy makers, and focuses initially on two country case studies, Kenya and Sri Lanka, before broadening out to draw more global lessons for the protection of survivors living in poor communities.