1,187 torture victims treated
Jul 07, 2007
A total of 1,187 torture victims from Gulu and Amuru districts were treated at the Gulu African Centre for Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture Victims from May 2006 to June 2007.
By Caroline Ayugi
A total of 1,187 torture victims from Gulu and Amuru districts were treated at the Gulu African Centre for Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture Victims from May 2006 to June 2007.
A social worker at the centre, Evelyn Achan, told The New Vision on Monday that there were 677 male and 510 female victims.
Achan attributed the high number of males to the fact that the centre was far away and most female victims find it hard to get transport to the centre.
“Most of the victims live in the camps and they are poor. While the men can do some odd jobs to raise money for transport, the women first think about taking care of the children instead of coming for treatment.â€
She added that apart from having many chores at home, most women who are raped before being subjected to torture, loose their self-esteem, and this hinders them from seeking treatment for they fear to expose themselves.
Achan noted that some of the victims were tortured as far back as the 1980s and 1990s, and allege that they were tortured by security agents, especially during interrogations where they were suspected of being rebel collaborators.
The rebels and local authorities are also named in inflicting pain on the civilians
Kizito Wamala, the Clinical Psychologist at the centre, said the victims are given holistic treatment, medical, counselling, and psychosocial treatment, depending on what problems the patients have, free of charge.
“Some patients have acute chest pains, constant headaches and nightmares. Others have post-traumatic stress disorders, HIV/AIDS, and candida, especially those who were raped. We refer some of them to other centres like TASO for proper treatment,†Wamala said.
A total of 1,187 torture victims from Gulu and Amuru districts were treated at the Gulu African Centre for Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture Victims from May 2006 to June 2007.
A social worker at the centre, Evelyn Achan, told The New Vision on Monday that there were 677 male and 510 female victims.
Achan attributed the high number of males to the fact that the centre was far away and most female victims find it hard to get transport to the centre.
“Most of the victims live in the camps and they are poor. While the men can do some odd jobs to raise money for transport, the women first think about taking care of the children instead of coming for treatment.â€
She added that apart from having many chores at home, most women who are raped before being subjected to torture, loose their self-esteem, and this hinders them from seeking treatment for they fear to expose themselves.
Achan noted that some of the victims were tortured as far back as the 1980s and 1990s, and allege that they were tortured by security agents, especially during interrogations where they were suspected of being rebel collaborators.
The rebels and local authorities are also named in inflicting pain on the civilians
Kizito Wamala, the Clinical Psychologist at the centre, said the victims are given holistic treatment, medical, counselling, and psychosocial treatment, depending on what problems the patients have, free of charge.
“Some patients have acute chest pains, constant headaches and nightmares. Others have post-traumatic stress disorders, HIV/AIDS, and candida, especially those who were raped. We refer some of them to other centres like TASO for proper treatment,†Wamala said.