Families of torture victims

The family of victims of torture are victims also. Because torture is frequently arbitrary and always dehumanizing the victim and the family experience themselves as guilty of some terrible but unknown wrong. In many cases at the time of arrest the family is victimized. The husband may be beaten and forced to watch the mistreatment of the rest of the family. The wife may be beaten and raped. The children are terrorized by being forced to watch their parents being brutalized, pets killed, toys like dolls destroyed. Children may be kidnapped and sold or "adopted" or left to fend for themselves. The family may be shunned by neighbours and family who are afraid they too might be victims.