The aim of any form of torture is to break down the personality and to destroy the identity of the victims. Torture is always induced deliberately, it is always linked to both physical and psychological pain, the victims are unprepared, and the inflicted pain is acute and chronic. In addition to the physical wounds, torture victims suffer from psychological symptoms such as feelings of anxiety, guilt and shame, powerlessness in relation to the problems of everyday life, problems with concentration, poor sleep with frequent nightmares, impotence, etc.
Torture is used as an instrument of power.
In new democracies torture appears to be a practice remnant from authoritarian regimes, and a means of individual power abuse by military or law enforcement personnel. Torture may be used as a lawful sanction. Torture is a global problem Torture remains a problem of great magnitude in the world today. Torture is carried out systematically in more than 40 UN member states and less systematically in many more. Even many of the countries which have ratified the UN Convention against Torture still use or tolerate the use of torture.