Security officials routinely gang rape women in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) prisons as punishment for their political activities, said UK- based charity, Freedom From Torture.
The report documented testimonies from 34 survivors who were tortured and raped by state actors due to involvement in political and rights organisations.
The report concluded by calling on the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and international community, to broaden its focus on sexual violence in conflict and include consideration to sexual violence as a form of torture which has spread outside of conflict zones.
The report documented testimonies from 34 survivors who were tortured and raped by state actors due to involvement in political and rights organisations.
The report concluded by calling on the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and international community, to broaden its focus on sexual violence in conflict and include consideration to sexual violence as a form of torture which has spread outside of conflict zones.
“As indicated in our report, conflict in the DRC has had the effect of normalising sexual violence outside of the conflict zone to such a degree that it is used as a form of torture by state agents. We therefore call on the UK and the international community to broaden the focus of their attention to include sexual violence, and sexual violence as a form of torture in particular, which has spread outside of the conflict zones,” said Freedom For Torture.