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Finland: Outrage over three asylum seekers - two of them children - given forcible injections

01 October 2003

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The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) has found out, that in the summer of 2002, three members of the same family, the mother and an 11 year old girl and 12 year old boys, were forcefully injected with sedating and neuroleptic medication (used in the treatment of certain mental disorders). The Committee's report concludes:

"the delegation obtained information (including of a documentary nature) about a case involving several members of the same family (of whom two were minors) who had been forcefully injected with sedating and neuroleptic medication without proper examination by a doctor. Practices of this kind are totally unacceptable." (page 5)

The family were being deported by plane back to Ukraine (the father had been sent back earlier). The head of the detention centre at Katajanokka, Veikko Pyykkonen, said that no doctors were present and that: "The mother became quite calm and limp from the drugs" and had to be carried to the waiting police car. Veikko Pyykkonen said he did not know who had ordered the use of drugs.

The CPT report on Finland: CPT (pdf)
Finnish newspaper: Coverage on 27 October: Helsingin Sanomat Coverage on 28 October: Helsingin Sanomat

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