Report No. 152

2.2. Situation of mastery and abuse of authority.-

It is this situation of mastery, domination and total control that is generative of a possibility of abuse. If "power tends to corrupt" in the political area, it is equally true to say that a situation of authority tends to abuse of authority. Such abuse may take a variety of forms. It may lead to physical torture, mental cruelty, silent psychic domination or any other form of-abuse. The varieties of custodial torture and crime can be as infinite as are the varieties of human perversity.

The situation is indeed peculiar. One person comes under the total domination of another person. And that other person (so placed in domination) is not (in general) subject to the concrete and immediate supervision or overview of a third person.