Rape is classified as an act of torture within international human rights, humanitarian and criminal law and is used to discourage dissent and to demonstrate power. Rape was also officially recognised as a tactic of war by the United Nations Security Council in 2008. Attacks are used to systematically break down families and communities around the individuals directly targeted, creating fear, division and shame.

In some countries, the rape of women in detention is almost universal, and in many countries a woman who has been tortured has almost certainly been raped as part of the abuse. In many places, security agents, when coming to a house to arrest a man, will rape the women (and girls and boys) while they are there, or come back to the home later knowing that the women are unprotected.

Women and girls are the predominant victims of rape, but men and boys are also subjected to sexual abuse and rape. However, due to feelings of shame, humiliation and cultural taboos, male rape often remains undisclosed.

Being raped has consequences far beyond the event itself. For women, there is the risk of pregnancy, and sometimes the physical and psychological difficulties in caring for the ensuing baby. For both sexes, there is the risk of sexually transmitted diseases and sometimes there can be physical damage. In addition, there is serious psychological harm. Depression, anxiety and an inability to trust are common symptoms in those who have experienced rape as torture, as are headaches, nightmares and intrusive memories.

All victims of rape need care and treatment, both for the immediate physical and psychological consequences, and to help them deal with the longterm impact on themselves, their families, and the societies in which they live"

Source:

Medical Foundation report Rape as a Method of Torture (external link to pdf file)

Nudity as torture method

Forced nudity is often used by perpetrators of torture to humiliate their subjects. Other common methods of psychological torture include mock executions, threats to individuals or their loved ones, mock amputations and being forced to witness the torture of others...

Forced nudity is often used by perpetrators of torture to humiliate their subjects. Other common methods of psychological torture include mock executions, threats to individuals or their loved ones, mock amputations and being forced to witness the torture of others.

Psychological torture methods are known to cause as much traumatic stress and long-term effects as physical forms of torture.

Torture not always leaves physical marks

Proof of torture may be highly hard to pin down. Torture traces may disappear by the time a victim receives medical attention, medical personnel may not be properly trained to detect less obvious traces of torture, and torturers may employ methods that do not leave physical evidence.

This is why the Istanbul Protocol is so important. It is the first comprehensive document to provide the medical and legal professions with tools for investigating, assessing and reporting allegations of torture, thereby making a vital contribution to addressing the inherent difficulties in proving claims of torture. Adopted in August 1999, the Protocol has since been applied by various United Nations supervisory bodies, regional organisations and practitioners before those organs, as well as in domestic proceedings.