Urgently awaiting implementation: The right to be free from exploitation, violence and abuse in Article 16 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)

Abstract

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) enshrines the freedom from exploitation, violence and abuse, a provision, which has hitherto received little attention. Exploring the contents of Article 16, this paper seeks to unpack both the potential for violence prevention as well as the implementation challenges. It situates violence protection within related treaty provisions and touches on specific challenges in institutional care as well as the private realm.