This briefing highlights research that identifies potential deficiencies in the reporting of instances of torture and ill-treatment amongst the poorest members of society, and suggests actions that might be progressed to address these.

There is a potential ‘documentation gap’ when it comes to torture and ill-treatment amongst the poorest populations. The documentation of human rights abuses acts as the eyes and ears of the human rights movement. Yet, documentation is far from straightforward, and the documentation of torture and ill-treatment is particularly difficult. These problems become acute when it comes to populations living in poverty in Low-Income Countries. The poor are often the most vulnerable to torture and other forms of ill-treatment.

They are also the least able to access forms of accountability, thereby perpetuating the structural inequalities that lie at the heart of poverty. Additionally, the instruments and methods used by human rights organisations for the documentation of torture and ill-treatment, assume resource levels that are often not available. This research, therefore, examined the challenges and potential of documenting torture and ill-treatment amongst the poor…