Security officials "routinely" rape women in prisons in DR Congo as punishment for their political activities, a UK-based charity says.

Freedom From Torture said medical reports of 34 women showed many of them had been brutally gang-raped.

The women - who included traders and professionals aged between 18 and 62 - are seeking asylum in the UK.
...
In its report, Freedom From Torture said a doctor had "documented 68 scars attributable to torture. Fifty-six of these scars were attributable to a specific instance of gang-rape".

The group's Dr Juliet Cohen told the BBC: "There are some striking consistencies in the experiences of sexual violence and torture of the women in this report which strongly suggests that this horrific abuse is being routinely carried out in prisons in the DRC."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-27662890