CAT/C/60/D/579/2013
United Nations
Convention against Torture
and Other Cruel, Inhuman
or Degrading Treatment
or Punishment
Distr.: General
16 June 2017
English
Original: French
English, French and Spanish only
Committee against Torture
Decision adopted by the Committee under article 22
concerning communication No. 579/2013*, **
Submitted by:
G.N., represented by Trial (Track Impunity
Always) and the Seruka Initiative for rape
victims/Centre Seruka
Alleged victim:
C.N., daughter of the complainant.
State party:
Burundi
Date of complaint:
11 December 2013 (initial submission)
Date of present decision:
1 May 2017
Subject matter:
Rape of a child by an officer of the national army
and lack of effective investigation and redress
Procedural issues:
None
Substantive issues:
Torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading
treatment or punishment; measures to prevent
acts of torture; State party’s obligation to ensure
that its competent authorities proceed to a
prompt and impartial investigation; right to file a
complaint; right to redress
Articles of the Convention:
Articles 2 (1), 12, 13 and 14, read in conjunction
with articles 1 and 16 of the Convention.
1.1
The complainant is G.N., a Burundian national born in 1980. She is submitting the
communication on behalf of her minor daughter, C.N., born on 17 July 2003. The
complainant submits that her daughter, C.N., was the victim of a violation of articles 2 (1),
12, 13 and 14, read in conjunction with article 1 and, alternatively, with article 16 of the
Convention against Torture. The complainant is represented by counsel.
1.2
Burundi declared that it recognized the competence of the Committee to receive and
consider individual communications under article 22 of the Convention on 10 June 2003.
1.3
On 23 December 2013, in application of rule 114 (1) (formerly rule 108) of its rules
of procedure (CAT/C/3/Rev.5), the Committee asked the State party to adopt effective
measures, throughout the duration of the Committee’s consideration of the complaint, to
prevent any threats or acts of violence to which the complainant or her family might be
* Adopted by the Committee at its sixtieth session (18 April-12 May 2017).
** The following members of the Committee participated in the examination of the present
communication: Essadia Belmir, Alessio Bruni, Claude Heller Rouassant, Jens Modvig, Sapana
Pradhan-Malla, Ana Racu, Sébastien Touzé and Kening Zhang.
GE.17-09954 (E)
240717 270717