Understanding sexual torture: what it is and its impact

Rape and other forms of sexual violence can be used as a form of torture. At Freedom from Torture, we support survivors to overcome the trauma of sexual torture, helping them recover and rebuild their lives.

Sexual torture is still being used around the world today to control and punish people. Read about what sexual torture is, where sexual torture happens, its impact and how we support survivors of sexual torture to rebuild their lives.

What is sexual torture?

Sexual torture can include anal, vaginal and oral rape by one person or multiple perpetrators and can happen to both women, men and children. It can include objects being used to penetrate or damage the vagina or anus without consent.

Rape and sexual violence can be acts of torture when committed as acts of punishment, oppression, intimidation or discrimination and at the instigation of, or with the consent of, a person acting in an official capacity, in and outside of conflict, in state detention and beyond. The UN Special Rapporteur on Torture recognises that sexual violence committed by warring parties in conflict is almost always torture.

Who is a survivor of sexual violence?

A survivor of sexual violence is anyone who has experienced any form of unwanted sexual act that happened without their consent. This can include rape, sexual assault, sexual abuse, sexual harassment, exploitation or coercion. Survivors can be of any gender, age, background or identity.

The word “survivor” is often preferred because it emphasises strength, resilience, and agency, rather than defining someone only by what happened to them. Some people may still choose the term “victim,” particularly in legal contexts, and both terms can be valid depending on the person’s preference and situation.

Where does sexual torture happen?

Sexual torture happens in many countries across the world. It is reported by a large percentage of the survivors Freedom from Torture supports from countries such as Turkey, Sri Lanka, Iran and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). In our report, Rape as Torture in the DRC: Sexual Violence Beyond the Conflict Zone, we highlighted how 85% of people from the DRC who came to us for help disclosed sexual torture.

What impact does sexual torture have?

Survivors of sexual violence face a number of complex and painful issues that affect not only their existence within their communities and relationships with their families but also their health and livelihoods. The long-term health consequences of sexual violence include reproductive health problems, surgical problems and psychological health problems.

Other profound impacts on physical and mental health include HIV and other infections, death as a result of suicide, forced pregnancy, elevated rates of trauma, rejection of children conceived through rape, and stigma and rejection from their community and family.

Psychologically, sexual torture can cause survivors to have depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), persistent nightmares and flashbacks, as well as feelings of guilt, shame, low self-esteem and worthlessness.

Many have also said that they feel they cannot speak about what happened to them for fear of stigma, being judged, or being rejected by their communities or families.

How does Freedom from Torture support survivors of sexual torture?

At Freedom from Torture, we support many men as well as women to overcome the trauma of sexual torture, providing life-changing therapy, support groups and other vital services that support survivors to process, recover and rebuild their lives.

Our doctors also provide medico-legal reports, which prove that a survivor has experienced torture and can be used to help them claim asylum and gain refugee status.

For survivors who are experiencing physical side effects from their torture, we also offer physio and pain management services to aid in recovery.

We also campaign for the fair treatment of people seeking safety in the UK after fleeing torture and sexual violence, carrying out important policy work that protects their human rights while fighting for social justice on a global scale.

As survivor champions for the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI), Kolbassia Haoussou MBE and Nadine Tunasi have set remarkable examples of the critical role that survivors can play in the development of policies and practices that affect them, when offered a seat at the table. Their work with the UK Government offers a model of survivor leadership from which others can learn.