US psychiatrists accused of unethical treatment of prisoners
Human rights group criticises US government about Bradley Manning
A doctors’ human rights organisation has criticised US military psychiatrists, saying that they are not fulfilling their duty to protect military prisoners from torture. Physicians for Human Rights (PHR), based in Massachusetts, says that military psychiatrists are complicit in the torture of imprisoned soldier Bradley Manning. Private Manning, allegedly the source of the WikiLeaks cables, has been detained for 9 months in solitary confinement in a military brig.
Manning has not even been tried but has reportedly been subjected to sleep deprivation and humiliation. Guards check every five minutes to ensure that he does not self-harm. Bioethicist Steven Miles, of the University of Minnesota, told the BMJ that the psychiatrists who recommended lifting the “prevention of injury” order have failed in their duty to protect Private Manning by not taking the issue further.
Christy Fujio, a PHR lawyer, says that in the US there are “numerous loyalty conflicts for health practitioners torn between acting in their patients’ best interests and serving the mission and needs of the US government.” ~ BMJ 2011; 342:d1792
Manning has not even been tried but has reportedly been subjected to sleep deprivation and humiliation. Guards check every five minutes to ensure that he does not self-harm. Bioethicist Steven Miles, of the University of Minnesota, told the BMJ that the psychiatrists who recommended lifting the “prevention of injury” order have failed in their duty to protect Private Manning by not taking the issue further.
Christy Fujio, a PHR lawyer, says that in the US there are “numerous loyalty conflicts for health practitioners torn between acting in their patients’ best interests and serving the mission and needs of the US government.” ~ BMJ 2011; 342:d1792
US psychiatrists accused of unethical treatment of prisoners
Jared Yee
psychiatry
US
WikiLeaks
Latest posts by Mumbai (see all)
- Prescribe morning-after pills to young teenagers, say US pediatric group - November 30, 2012
- Bahrain sentences protest docs to prison - November 28, 2012
- Terry Pratchett assisted suicide documentary wins International Emmy - November 27, 2012
More Stories
BioEdge has closed its doors
After 23 years, BioEdge ceased published in May 2024. Not that there isn't lots to report on and talk about,...
How liberal are American bioethicists?
There is growing acknowledgement of the fact that the backgrounds, ideas, and politics of American academics are out of step...
Doctors can be socialized to cooperate in morally despicable evil, says bioethicist
Bioethicist Carl Elliott seems to relish stirring up fellow bioethicists and the medical profession. In his latest book, The Occasional Human...
3 sperm donors from same family in Quebec have sired 600 children
Three men in Quebec from the same family have fathered more than 600 children by offering free sperm on the...
American IVF clinics are happily offering sex selection
The United States is one of the few countries where IVF sex selection is legal – and it is a...
Owner of castration website in UK found guilty of grievous bodily harm
“Enhancement” normally connotes adding powers beyond normal human functioning. However, there are dark kinds of enhancement which remove them. A...