Appendix 1
Statements by Human Rights Bodies
Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights
Statement
on
Upsurge
in
Cases
of
Organised
Violence
and
Torture
15 April 2008
Since the election on March 29th 2008, up to the end of April 14th, members of the Zimbabwe
Association of Doctors for Human Rights (ZADHR) have seen and treated 157 cases of injury
resulting from organised violence and torture.
As
of
midday
today
April
15th,
30
of
these
patients
remained
in
hospital.
One third of the patients are women, including a 15 year old girl who was
abducted with her mother from her home, made to lie on her front and beaten
on
her
buttocks.
Her
mother,
who
is
pregnant,
was
similarly
beaten.
Both
mother and daughter required hospital admission.
The
provinces
where
the
injuries
were
sustained
include
Manicaland,
Mashonaland East and West, and Masvingo. Of the 30 hospitalised patients, 15 are from
Mudzi.
The
commonest
buttocks.
This
obvious
visible
damage
to
injury
results
from
sign
tissues
observed
is
was
prolonged
extensive
under
the
extensive
beating
with
bruising
skin
soft
but
including
a
tissue
hard
there
blunt
is
muscle.
injury
of
the
object.
The
often
Muscle
substantial
destruction
of
this nature can result in severe kidney problems.
Nine
patients
(ulna
and/or
man,
who
right
and
right
sustained
radius)
also
left
hand.
had
radius,
These
fractures
and/or
the
multiple
left
hands
almost
of
his
back,
the
3rd
and
typical
of
and
are
bones),
(metacarpals
abrasions
ulna,
fractures
(broken
all
and/or
had
4th
"defence
on
the
arms
phalanges).
fractures
metacarpals
injuries",
of
of
One
both
his
resulting
from the victim raising his or her hands and arms to protect the face and
upper
body
from
assault.
One
patient
had
13
a
compound
fracture
of
the
left
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