In many cases, officials are unable to charge suspected terror suspects due to a lack of legally obtained evidence. This means that they hold their suspicions on the basis of apparent secret evidence obtained by means that are forbidden in a court of law. In these circumstances, the Home Secretary is permitted to place the suspect, where a British national, under T-PIMs, if it is felt that they are a threat or danger to society. Formerly known as Control Orders but later re-evaluated due to breaches in human rights, T-PIMs are anti-terror measures that severely restrict the freedom of the suspect and negatively affect his family.
If the suspect is not detained in prison, he faces house arrest and is subjected to:
· Prohibitions on possessing electronic devices capable of accessing the Internet inside or outside the home;
· Prohibitions on visitors to the home. Only those vetted by the Home Office are permitted;
· Prohibitions on meetings outside the home;
· Enforcement of a curfew by electronic tag. The curfew can demand suspects are home for up to 18-20 hours a day and restrict their locality during free time to their borough of residence;
· Ad hoc police visits and house searches; and
· Police station sign-ins up to 2-3 times a day.
Being subjected to such harsh restrictions in freedom isn’t an easy ride for the individual or his family.
Effectively imprisoned in his own home, a once active and working father or son suddenly becomes isolated, lonely and even bitter. In the case of a strict curfew, all external responsibilities fall on the mother who then has to bear the burden of generating an income, getting the children to and from school and shopping, as well as her other daily responsibilities. In many cases the mother is unable to drive or is not fluent in the English language, making such tasks near impossible. More often than not, the suspect is rehoused by the Home Office and allocated homes poorly furnished and without essential white goods like washing machines, hundreds of miles away from their wives and children. On top of all of this, the children suffer further. Prohibitions in Internet usage can be detrimental to their education and the stigma of having a father under house arrest for suspected terrorism unsurprisingly rings loud in school and university corridors, severely harming their mental and emotional state. Police searches and raids mean children never feel at peace. To make matter worse, fathers cannot provide them with the much needed support, such as outings during this critical time because of curfews, boundary’s, tags and signing in requirements.
As a direct result of T-PIMs family relations weaken and practical day-to-day life becomes hard, exhausting and often impossible.
“The mental torture inflicted on me and my family was so grave that my daughter stopped speaking for a long period of time and my marriage ended in divorce.” (Anonymous T-Pims Survivor)