The Rehabilitation and Research Centre for Torture
Victims originated in Amnesty International's first medical
group, which was established in 1974 - one year after Amnesty had
urged the medical profession all over the world to help fight
torture. Back then, no systematic knowledge existed on torture and
the after-effects of torture. The main aim of the group was, by
means of systematic examinations, to demonstrate that the victims
had been subjected to torture. By these examinations it was
documented that people in many countries had been subjected to
torture, and severe after-effects of the torture were
demonstrated.
Inge Genefke
One of the strongest advocates was Inge Genefke, MD, who
in 1982 initiated the establishment of RCT.
RCT was an independent organisation that was housed at the
National Hospital of Denmark. This location enabled the treatment
or hospitalisation of torture survivors at the hospital.
Physicians, nurses, physiotherapists and other members of the
medical profession soon realised that treating and nursing torture
survivors often presented special problems that called for
specialised and multidisciplinary treatment.
In 1984, when RCT moved to a villa next to the National Hospital
of Denmark, the main aim of the organisation was to treat and
rehabilitate torture survivors who were refugees in Denmark. The
medical professionals worked to alleviate the mental and physical
after-effects of torture by interdisciplinary interventions, the
main emphasis of which lay on medical rehabilitation.
Furthermore, the organisation initiated education of Danish and
foreign health professionals, undertook research in torture and the
after-effects of torture and established an international
documentation centre.
To meet the growing demand for rehabilitation of torture
survivors the world over, the International Rehabilitation Council
for Torture Victims (IRCT) was formed in 1985, initially as a
department of RCT. In 1997, RCT and IRCT were separated into two
independent organisations and IRCT has now become an international
umbrella organisation for rehabilitation centres and organisations
worldwide.
Today, RCT is part of a global network of human rights
organisations fighting torture and other forms of organised
violence. RCT's field of activity is the rehabilitation of torture
survivors in Denmark, international co-operation with partners in a
number of countries (in Latin America, Asia, Africa, the Middle
East and East Europe), research, education and advocacy.