THEMATIC REPORT 2017 REDRESS AND REPARATIONS Purpose of the torture According to the data recorded, torture is most commonly used to force a confession from the victim. In addition, other common reasons to torture include: to sow fear or create pressure on others, to humiliate or intimidate the victim, to extract information about others, or to punish the individual. 81 cases where discrimination was recorded as a reason for the torture involve street children in Eldoret who were tortured partly because of their ethnicity. In Serbia, IAN’s clients were tortured to humiliate, punish or discipline them, to sow fear and create pressure on others or to destroy their personality. According to IAN, these were commonly used tactics during the Balkan Wars (1991-1995). In Mexico, a large proportion of CCTI’s clients are women or migrants and have been historically subjected to discriminatory treatment at the hands of state authorities. According to CCTI this discriminatory treatment is part of the reason why these particular victims are tortured. In Kenya, some of the cases of torture are also linked to discriminatory practices. For example, 81 cases where discrimination was recorded as a reason for the torture involve street children in Eldoret who were tortured partly because of their ethnicity; most of the children are not members of the county’s dominant Kalenjin community. Anti-drug special forces police in Veracruz, Mexico. © Gerardo C.Lerner / Shutterstock.com page 22