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Being made to stand is ‘torture’ |
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IN July 2008 the British Army was criticised by the Joint Human Rights Committee for using standing as a form of illegal torture against civilians. In the UK army personnel are banned form forcing captives to stand for prolonged periods because it is believed to be unacceptable to treat people in this way. The American military still use standing as a torture technique to break down the mental state of individuals. This practice was defended by President Bush as a legitimate |
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“alternative procedure”. Either way everyone agrees - being made to stand is ‘torture’. Despite the Government’s hard-line position with the UK military, ministers seem happy to turn a blind eye to the rail industry practice of forcing prolonged standing-even though train operators add over-crowding to the practice - multiplying the effects dramatically. The House of Commons Transport Committee report on overcrowding concluded: “Failure to provide an efficient public transport system means that employers are faced with staff who are tired, stressed and uncomfortable on arrival at the workplace. Lateness at work, loss of productivity, sickness absence, missed and rescheduled meetings and lost business due to public transport overcrowding and delays all impose real and significant costs.” Passenger Focus, the rail ombudsman, in its report on overcrowding (2006) said it believed that too little weight has been given to health and safety issues on overcrowded trains. |
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