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Abuse of Women in Detention

NCJ Number
126636
Journal
Response to the Victimization of Women and Children Volume: 12 Issue: 1 Dated: (1989) Pages: 12-14
Date Published
1989
Length
3 pages
Annotation
Thousands of male and female prison inmates around the world experience conditions that violate internationally recognized human rights standards and often constitute torture and cruel or degrading treatment, but women in custody may be more likely to face forms of abuse such as rape, sexual assault, and sexual humiliation.
Abstract
The victims include women of all ages and socioeconomic groups. The period between arrest and arrival at an official detention center is particularly dangerous for women. Amnesty International has received information about many cases involving the maltreatment of women in custody. The examinations show that women often face abuses that are specific to their sex and that these abuses can have significant consequences, including pregnancy or miscarriage from a previous pregnancy. However, many women do not report such abuses due to humiliation or fear of further assaults. Case examples, editorial note regarding United Nations statements on human rights, and 4 references