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the age of 30 years, suffered a serious psychological disorder due to torture xxii. This was two
decades after the torture had occurred. Similar results were found in Zimbabwean war
veteransxxiii.
At the societal level, the consequences of organized violence and torture are specified as the
following:
• There is a sustained climate of fear amongst the affected population.
• An increase in violent behavior may manifest itself in the affected population, for
example, not so much with regards to violent crime, but for violence perpetrated
in a random and motiveless way.
• There may be a prevalence of silence in group situations, related to fears of
reprisals, which impairs the ability of people to participate in social and political
activities, thus having profound economic and political consequences.
• Human rights workers have a concern that transition from a strong repressive
government, to a weak democratic government can lead to highly destabilized
situations in which violence increases rather than decreases.
If there is no effort made at addressing wrongs that have been committed and rehabilitation of
survivors, there may be long-term consequences from war, destabilization, and human rights
violations.xxiv Research indicates that as in other parts of the world as well as in Zimbabwe, that
torture is highly accompanied by Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). As Baker xxv says,
survivors of torture have suffered psychic and physical injury, but they also lose families, jobs,
educational opportunities, and suffer alienation from their communities. Torture survivors suffer
many consequences as a result of their experiences, which can persist over a long period of time.
AMANI Trust: Organised Violence and Torture in the June 2000 General Election in Zimbabwe
Select target paragraph3
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