African Centre for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture Victims (ACTV), treated and gave counseling services to 800 torture victims last year. 429 victims of torture given the services were from northern Uganda while 405 from central Uganda.
Speaking to journalists in Gulu Town, Alfred Oketayot, the managing director of the organisation said victims of torture face livelihood and stigmatization challenges, adding that most of the perpetrators of the torture are mostly police and other military agencies.
Tony Ojok, the legal officer , said one is liable on conviction to life imprisonment for 15 years or a fine of Shs7.2 million or both if he commits an any form of torture. That punishment he said, is according to the Anti-torture Act 2012.
Isaac Ogwal the clinical psychologist at the Centre said that tormentors torture their victims in a bid to get information or make confession. He said that their aim is not to kill but it can but that sometimes can lead to the death of the captive.
According to the 2017 report, torture was perpetrated by security agents. In the report, the Uganda Police Force alone had 1,016 torture complaints against it since 2012, while the Uganda People’s Defence Forces follow closely with 275 cases.
ACTV is accredited by the Ministry of Health to operate a medical referral centre that provides physical and psychological care that supports the process of rehabilitation of victims of torture by security agencies or by rebels in Uganda and neighboring countries.
The organisation is also accredited to International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT)