Horrific abuses flagged by campaign group

The DRC has been accused of condoning the torture of political and human rights activists, including the use of gang rape, beatings and electric shock treatment on detainees. The UK-based Freedom from Torture group, which helps rehabilitate torture survivors, has accused the DRC authorities of routinely detaining activists in inhumane conditions, holding them without charge and torturing them. ‘Torture, including rape, is endemic in the detention system, irrespective of the detaining authority or type of detention facility,’ the 99-page report stated. It said most of the detainees – ‘men and women alike’ – are raped, on multiple occasions and by multiple perpetrators. ‘The rapes take place in a context of absolute impunity,’ it said. The report is based on 74 medical and legal files of Congolese nationals over the past five years who fled to the UK after being allegedly detained and tortured.