"Chained Like Prisoners": Abuses Against People with Psychosocial Disabilities in Somaliland

Author(s)

  • Laetitia Bader

Reference

"Chained Like Prisoners": Abuses Against People with Psychosocial Disabilities in Somaliland. Human Right Watch. 2015. 87p

Financial support

  • Human Right Watch

Applied research areas

Thematic issues

Impairment

Geographical areas

Author's summary

This report is based on almost four weeks of field research in Somaliland This report is based on almost four weeks of field research in Somaliland between October 2014 and August 2015 by two Human Rights Watch researchers and a psychologist who volunteered with Human Rights Watch for the research in the capital Hargeisa and in the towns of Berbera and Gabiley. Human Rights Watch visited nine institutions offering services to people who were believed to have psychosocial disabilities – two mental health wards at the general hospitals in Hargeisa and Berbera, six privately-run residential centers as well as a facility which uses traditional and religious practice to treat and purportedly heal inpatients. The privately-run centers visited are Daryeel Psychosocial Center, Habwanaag Relief Organization, Horizon Social Assistance Development Organization, Macruuf Relief Organization, Raywan Advocacy Mental Organization and Sahan Mental Health and Psychosocial Centre. We also visited a religious center called Darul Shifo. With the exception of the two public mental health wards, Macruuf and Darul Shifo, all of the centers visited had only male patients and did not provide treatment to women.  Human Rights Watch research in the field of mental health has focused primarily on the conditions of people with psychosocial disabilities in private and public institutions. Given the increase in the numbers of privately-owned centers that hold persons with psychosocial disabilities in Hargeisa, as well as initial scoping work by Human Rights Watch that pointed to abusive practices, the focus on abuses in institutions was prioritized.

Resource Center comment

Ce rapport de Human Right Watch a pour intérêt de dénoncer les mauvais traitements dans les établissements somalilandais ainsi que l’absence totale de possibilité d’inclusion dans la vie civile. Pour cela l’auteur a enquêté en interrogeant les différents acteurs du handicap (personnes handicapées, familles, membres associatifs, professionnels, les représentants de l’Etat). A partir de cette recherche englobant les différents acteurs liés au handicap dans les institutions, l’auteur émet des recommandations à court, moyen et long terme, aux différents acteurs (gouvernement, législatif, défenseur des droits) pour améliorer la situation et permettre aux personnes handicapées d’être traitées avec dignité et d’être incluses dans la vie civile. Ce document s’inscrit dans la lignée de la défense du droit au soin et à la dignité des personnes handicapées instaurée par la Convention Relative aux Droits des Personnes Handicapées de l’ONU (CDPH).
Ce document peut intéresser les différents acteurs liés aux personnes handicapées dans les institutions.
Il est disponible une version facile à lire du rapport en anglais.
 
 
This Human Right Watch report denounces the ill-treatment of people with disabilities living in institutions in Somaliland, and the lack of any form of inclusion in civilian life. The author interviewed young people with disabilities and their families, rights activists, professionals and state officials. He then provides short and mid-term recommendations for the different parties (government, legislative, rights activists) to improve the situation (more dignity, a more inclusive society). This document is in line with the CRPD (Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities) which stipulates that people with disabilities have the right to access to health services and to dignity. It may be of interest to those working on disability in institutions.
An easy reading version is also available. 
 

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