Custody-related deaths in Durban, South Africa 1998-2000.

Custody-related deaths have become a major human rights issue in South Africa since the 1994 democratic elections and led to the formation of the Independent Complaints Directorate who, in April 2000, had recorded 2174 custody-related deaths since their inception. A 3-year retrospective descriptive study on all custody-related death cases at a Durban Medico-legal mortuary from January 1998 to December 2000 was undertaken. The study included deaths that occurred during arrest and deaths within the South African Police Services holding cells.