CAT/C/CHL/CO/6 on the right of women to a life free of violence (Bulletin No. 11077-17) and of the information provided by the State party regarding training and awareness-raising programmes designed for public servants who have direct contact with victims of genderbased violence (arts. 2, 11–14 and 16). 25. The State party should: (a) Ensure that all cases of gender-based violence against women and girls, especially those involving actions or omissions by State authorities or other entities which engage the international responsibility of the State party under the Convention, are thoroughly investigated, that the alleged perpetrators are prosecuted and, if convicted, are punished appropriately and that the victims receive redress, including adequate compensation; (b) Provide mandatory training on the prosecution of gender-based violence to all justice officials and law enforcement personnel and continue awareness-raising campaigns on all forms of violence against women; (c) Ensure that victims of gender-based violence receive the medical care, psychological support and legal assistance they require; (d) Speed up the parliament’s adoption of the bill on the right of women to a life free of violence. Investigation, prosecution and punishment of acts of torture and ill-treatment 26. According to information provided by the delegation, between January 2009 and May 2018, 1,042 court cases were brought for acts of torture and ill-treatment, 599 of which have been dismissed. However, the available statistical data does not shed light on the tangible reasons why so many cases were dismissed or on the nature of the 46 sentences handed down since 2014. In addition, the Committee notes with concern that the prison sentences imposed on the perpetrators never exceeded 3 years (arts. 2, 12, 13 and 16). 27. The Committee urges the State party to: (a) Ensure that all complaints of torture and ill-treatment are investigated in a prompt and impartial manner by an independent body; (b) Ensure that the authorities automatically open an investigation wherever there are reasonable grounds for believing that an act of torture or ill-treatment has been committed; (c) Ensure that, in cases of alleged torture and/or ill-treatment, suspected perpetrators are suspended from duty immediately for the duration of the investigation, particularly when there is a risk that they might otherwise be in a position to repeat the alleged act, commit reprisals against the alleged victim or obstruct the investigation; (d) Guarantee that the alleged perpetrators are duly prosecuted and, if found guilty, receive penalties commensurate with the seriousness of their actions; (e) Compile statistical data on the number of complaints, investigations, prosecutions, convictions and penalties in cases of torture and ill-treatment. Detention conditions 28. As acknowledged by the delegation, substandard detention conditions in prisons are one of the corrections system’s main problems and in some situations amount to illtreatment. Therefore, the Committee appreciates the State party’s efforts to improve conditions and reduce overcrowding in detention centres, in particular by expanding and rehabilitating current facilities, building new prisons and updating legislation on alternatives to deprivation or restriction of liberty. However, the Committee remains concerned at reports of overcrowding in many prisons, especially in the Atacama, Metropolitan and Valparaíso regions. Other reports received by the Committee point to significant gaps in medical and health-care services, as well as a lack of beds, problems with the distribution of water to cells, inadequate heating and lighting and limited access to 6 GE.18-14136

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