6 Table 2 Violation Frequency Severe psychological torture 78% Threats 76% Witnessing violation 70% Harassment 67% Beatings 63% Sensory over-stimulation 41% Unlawful arrest/detention 17% Victim of Murambatsvina 15% Rape 15% Burnings 8% Indecent assault 8% Falanga 4% Electrical shock 2% Case study: Maria, a 34 year old female, who was constantly harassed and intimidated by the police and soldiers. Her husband was an MDC official in the Midlands area. He was arrested several times. In 2003 her husband was arrested and severely beaten. He started complaining of stomach pains, was hospitalized and died a few months later. In April 2006 X attended an MDC meeting. She was arrested with four others and taken to Harare Central Police station. They were held for three days without any food. On their release, X was forced into a Defender van and taken to the bush and raped by a policeman. She tried to resist. She was trampled upon, cut on her small finger with a metal object and burnt with a cigarette on her thigh. The perpetrator ejaculated inside her vagina and smeared his semen all over her body. He did this so that she could not forget the experience. She was taken back to Harare Police station and instructed to bathe herself. She was also threatened with death should she inform anyone. Perpetrators The most frequent perpetrators reported were supporters of Zanu(PF), and indeed non-state actors accounted for the greatest number of perpetrators reported. Nonetheless, state agents – police, army, and Central Intelligence Organization [CIO] – were reported too, with the police being the most frequent state agency reported.

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