After a long process the International Journal of Mental Health Systems has published the final version of a paper that combines data from five torture rehabilitation centres from around the world. This paper is one of the products of an IRCT project designed to support and build clinical work in developing countries.

Participating centres were:

1. El Nadim Centre for Psychological Management and Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence in Egypt;
2. Gaza Community Mental Health Programme (GCMHP) in the Palestinian Occupied Territories;
3. Centro de Prevención, Tratamiento y Rehabilitación de las Víctimas de la Tortura y sus Familiares (CPTRT) in Honduras;
4. Colectivo Contra la Tortura y la Impunidad A.C. (CCTI) in Mexico; and
5. the Trauma Centre for Survivors of Violence and Torture (TCSVT) in South Africa.

Co-ordinating the data collection and analysis of five centres in three different languages was an enormous challenge for everyone. Although there were many problems and differences, we all learned a great deal through the project and demonstrated that such undertakings are possible.

Those wishing to read this paper can download a Full Text versions here.

During the past two weeks I have had the privilege of working with Buyi Mbambo and training police on the implementation of the new Child Justice Act. It was bound to be a controversial course after a minor was alleged to have murdered right wing political leader Eugene Terre'Blanche, the first test case for new legislation. Interesting times indeed!

The process of turning the new Child Justice Act into regulations, instructions and standing orders to guide policing is well under way but there are still some interesting questions and gaps. Although our training focusses on development, family dynamics, techniques for working with children and adolescents and so forth, police officials are rightly concerned with the details of what exactly is required of them in different situations under the Act.

One member of our team commented on how difficult it is to give police officials on the ground messages about human rights, protecting people's dignity, and mentoring young people, when the political leadership is driving the use of hard force and changing the ranking system back to that of the military. Police members on the ground are rightly asking, "What do you want? Human rights and a police service, or a hardline approach, a police force?" While these are not totally incompatible, we do need a consistent message about how we as a country want to be policed?