A/HRC/16/22 State must consider children who have been recruited or used by illegal armed actors as victims. 2. Security forces 86. OHCHR-Colombia continued to note the presence of military units in or around civilian premises, including homes and schools, in several departments, such as Meta and Valle del Cauca. In some cases, civilians were killed or injured during hostilities against security forces that were located in or near civilian premises. In other cases, guerrilla groups mined the premises after the military forces had left. 87. Also of concern are the numerous reports received from communities that alleged abuses by the Army in particular. For example, conducting “censuses” and taking photographs of civilians participating in community meetings place the civilian population at risk. Cases of stigmatization and pressure on civilians to act as informants, and some cases of illegal detention, have been reported. In some of these cases, victims suffered cruel or degrading treatment, even torture, and were released only after they were forced to sign a declaration that they had been well treated. 88. Despite national laws and international recommendations, OHCHR-Colombia continued to receive information on the use of children by members of security forces for intelligence work and on their participation in civic-military actions. 89. OHCHR-Colombia noted allegations of the existence of a mass grave containing 2,000 bodies in La Macarena, Meta. Even though no evidence of a mass grave was found, at least 446 unidentified people were buried in the municipal cemetery after having been reported as killed in combat by the Armed Forces between 2002 and 2010. The weak judicial controls may have facilitated the concealment of extrajudicial executions and other serious violations. Initial information suggests that similar situations may exist in other cemeteries. OHCHR-Colombia has urged the Ministry of Defense to develop a national registry of persons killed in combat and the Attorney General to expand its investigations to other cemeteries.26 90. During 2010, OHCHR-Colombia observed irregular, and in some cases clearly illegal practices in the military recruitment process; these practices should be discontinued as soon as possible. Rapid development of mechanisms to regulate military service, including conscientious objection, with full respect for human rights, is urged. M. Torture 91. OHCHR-Colombia continued to receive information on cases of torture by security forces, noting with great concern its repeated occurrence in departments such as Antioquia, Arauca, Caquetá, Meta, Valle del Cauca and Vichada. Of particular concern is the situation in Medellín, where several people, including suspected criminals, have repeatedly been victims of torture and mistreatment. Several people suffered physical and psychological punishment while under police custody, in some cases accompanied by racial slurs. The mistreatment consisted, inter alia, of punches or kicks to different parts of the body or blows with weapons, as well as electrical shocks, burns, spraying with pepper gas, or suffocation with plastic bags. 92. Existing disciplinary mechanisms in security forces do not seem to be sufficiently effective in the investigation and punishment of these violations. When the Procurator 26 OHCHR-Colombia report on La Macarena cemetery, Meta department, 2010. 15