History
Mr T.M., 28 years old. He is educated but currently unemployed. He is an MDC organiser. On the 24th May, he was with 2 other colleagues preparing for an MDC rally at 7 p.m. 20 –30 people who he considered to be war veterans, CIO, and PISI arrived and took him and his colleagues outside the building and proceeded to strip them and make them lie down on the floor face down. They were then beaten with shamboks, on the head and face and kicked. He was punched in the ribs. Cigarettes were lit and stubbed out on his skin. He received falanga. He was tortured in this manner for approximately one hour. The reason for his torture was because he was accused of selling the country to the whites. He was told that he was being taught a lesson. As one of the youths had run away and was on his way to fetch the police he was taken to a room that was dark and without ventilation where he was beaten again and asked to give names of MDC. He was told that he was going to be killed. However a policeman arrived and his assailants ran away. He was taken to the nearest police post and from there to a hospital where he felt that the staff there did not want to treat him. For this reason he went on to the Central Hospital where a full medical report was made of his case and where he stayed for 4 days. The CID came there to investigate the incident. He knows 3 of the perpetrators and is taking legal action.

Previous medical history:
In good health prior to torture. Never hospitalised.

Alleged Torture Methods

• Psychological torture:
  Threats, including death threats.
  Humiliation (stripped naked).

• Physical torture:
  Unsystematic beatings with sjamboks and sticks all over until unconsciousness.
  Falanga
  Burning with cigarettes

Subjective Complaints
Headaches, anxiety attacks, depression, diminished concentration.

Objective Physical Findings

• Regio frontalis sin: hypertrophic scar, 2 x 1½ cm

• Oculis dxt: echymosis around the eye

• Oculis sin: bleeding in the conjunctiva

• Regio mandibulis dxt: fractured jaw (verified by radiology)

• Regio brachialis dorsalis dxt: excoriations, 2 x 2 cm

• Regio michae et dorsalis: 6 circular scars with atrophic centre, peripheral hypertrophic white surrounding

• Regio renis dxt: Excoriations and ulcer, 8 x 4 cm

Objective Psychological Findings
Calm, sad, depressed.