Is it possible after many years to detect signs proving the use of physical and mental torture?
Yes, often, but it requires special skills and expertise. Torture methods are typically selected for maximum psychological and physical impact and victims are often detained by the authorities until the majority of the injuries have healed. There exist scientific methods, such as magnetic resonance imaging and bone scintigraphy, which can provide medical evidence of certain forms of physical torture. Furthermore, a thorough examination by an experienced psychiatrist, acquainted with torture and its methods, will often be able to diagnose psychological scars even long after the torture has taken place – however, the result will of course also depend on the individual case in question.
