Home Institution
University of Michigan
Publication Date
Spring 2022
Abstract
Since its inception, the United Nations Convention Against Torture (UNCAT) conceived torture as a state crime. The Convention established a so-called “state-nexus” that effectively excludes torture committed by non-state actors. The Committee Against Torture as well as the world’s major anti-torture NGOs have almost exclusively focused on ill-treatment perpetrated by state entities. Yet, there have been efforts to extend the definition to private actors, including the “de facto authority” approach, and the due diligence doctrine. This article explores the effectiveness of these efforts to expand the scope of the UNCAT when applied to organized criminal organization such as gangs and cartels. By incorporating legal theory, human rights scholarship, and interviews with human rights practitioners, this work aims to highlight the limitations and opportunities of applying the UNCAT to acts of torture and ill-treatment perpetrated by organized criminal groups. The essay concludes that holding criminal groups accountable for committing torture requires both a broader understanding of what torture entails under the Convention that focuses on the victim, as well as addressing systemic issues in fragile states to prevent the types of environments that propitiate torture.
Disciplines
Criminology and Criminal Justice | Human Rights Law | International Relations | Social Control, Law, Crime, and Deviance
Recommended Citation
Orozco Castellanos, Emmanuel, "Unofficial Torturers and Helpless Victims: Applying the Convention Against Torture to Organized Criminal Groups" (2022). Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection. 3447.
https://digitalcollections.sit.edu/isp_collection/3447
Included in
Criminology and Criminal Justice Commons, Human Rights Law Commons, International Relations Commons, Social Control, Law, Crime, and Deviance Commons
Program Name
Switzerland: International Studies and Multilateral Diplomacy