Assessment and litigation of ocular injuries by less-lethal weapons.

Autores/as

  • Pau Pérez-Sales Clinical Director SiRa Center. Hospital La Paz. Editor-in-Chief Torture Journal
  • Sara Lopez Martin Senior Legal Adviser. SiRa Center
  • Marina Parras Cordoves MD. SiRa Center. Emergency Department, Hospital Universitario Infanta Sofía.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7146/torture.v34i1.144838

Palabras clave:

Less-Lethal weapons, Eye mutilation, Forensic Assessment, Torture

Resumen

The main cause of serious ophthalmological injuries, including
violent eye amputations in the context of so-called less lethal
weapons, is the use of blunt objects, such as batons or extendable
sticks and the use of kinetic energy projectiles (rubber bullets,
pellets, foam projectiles or others). Such injuries in the context
of population control have been considered to constitute cruel,
inhuman or degrading treatment or even torture when they are
carried out, intentionally or unintentionally, by State officials
(or with their acquiescence or protection) and involve any of the
purposes contemplated in the Convention against Torture. Due
to their special characteristics, they constitute rights violations
that entail unique difficulties and complexity from both a legal
and forensic point of view. This paper addresses some of these
difficulties with practical legal and forensic recommendations.
It is structured in two parts: First, legal, where we consider
legal difficulties and provide suggestions on elements for obtaining
evidence are given. Second, medico-psychological and
forensic where we review the elements to be considered in the
interview, the medical and ophthalmological evaluation, and
the psychometric, psychological and psychiatric evaluation.

Citas

Amnesty International, & Omega Research. (2023). “ My eye exploded”. The global use of kinetic impact projectiles.

Beck, A. T., Steer, R. A., & Brown, G. (1996). Beck Depression Inventory–II (BDI-II). APA Psychometric Database. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1037/t00742-000

Blevins, C. A., Weathers, F. W., Davis, M. T., Witte, T. K., & Domino, J. L. (2015). The Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5): Development and Initial Psychometric Evaluation. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 28(6). https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.22059

Broman, A. T., Munoz, B., West, S. K., Rodriguez, J., Sanchez, R., Snyder, R., & Klein, R. (2001). Psychometric properties of the 25-item NEI-VFQ in a Hispanic population: Proyecto VER. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, 42(3), 606–613. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11222517

Lim, Z. W., Chee, M. L., Da Soh, Z., Cheung, N., Dai, W., Sahil, T., Tao, Y., Majithia, S., Sabanayagam, C., Chen, C. L. H., Wong, T. Y., Cheng, C. Y., & Tham, Y. C. (2020). Association between Visual Impairment and Decline in Cognitive Function in a Multiethnic Asian Population. JAMA Network Open, 3(4), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.3560

Nasreddine ZS, Phillips NA, B. V. (2005). The Montreal cognitive assessment, MoCA: a brief screening tool for mild cognitive impairment. . 2005;53:695-9. JAGS, 53, 695–699.

Pérez-sales, P., Eiroa-orosa, F. J., Olivos, P., Barbero-val, E., Fernández-liria, A., & Vergara, M. (2012). Vivo Questionnaire : A Measure of Human Worldviews and Identity in Trauma , Crisis , and Loss — Validation and Preliminary Findings. Journal of Loss and Trauma : International Perspectives on Stress & Coping, February 2013, 236–259.

Rocher, P. (2020). Gazer, mutiler, soumettre: Politique de l’arme non létale. (La Fabrique Editions. (ed.)).

Stelmack, J. A., Tang, X. C., Wei, Y., Wilcox, D. T., Morand, T., Brahm, K., Sayers, S., & Massof, R. W. (2017). Outcomes of the Veterans Affairs Low Vision Intervention Trial II (LOVIT II). JAMA Ophthalmology, 135(2), 96. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2016.4742

Velasquez, J., Sanchez, R., Severin, I., & Sferrazza, P. (2022). Estudios interdiciplinarios para investigar las violaciones a los derechos humanos por armas menos letales (T. Lo Blanch (ed.)). Tirant lo Blanc.

Vélez, C. M., Ramírez, P. B., Oviedo-Cáceres, M. D. P., Lugo Agudelo, L. H., Posada, A. M., Hernández-Padilla, M. L., Valverde, E. A., & Suárez-Escudero, J. C. (2023). Psychometric Properties of Scales for Assessing the Vision-related Quality of Life of People with Low Vision: A Systematic Review. Ophthalmic Epidemiology, 30(3), 239–248. https://doi.org/10.1080/09286586.2022.2093919

Weih, L. M., Hassell, J. B., & Keeffe, J. (2002). Assessment of the impact of vision impairment. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, 43(4), 927–935. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11923230

Wolffsohn, J. S., & Cochrane, A. L. (2000). Design of the low vision quality-of-life questionnaire (LVQOL) and measuring the outcome of low-vision rehabilitation. American Journal of Ophthalmology, 130(6), 793–802. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0002-9394(00)00610-3

Descargas

Publicado

2024-05-28

Cómo citar

Pérez-Sales, P., Lopez Martin, S., & Parras Cordoves, M. (2024). Assessment and litigation of ocular injuries by less-lethal weapons. Torture Journal, 34(1), 4–21. https://doi.org/10.7146/torture.v34i1.144838