A/HRC/16/27 Actions taken by the Joint Human Rights Office 18. The strategy adopted by the Joint Human Rights Office to prevent torture and death in detention involves monitoring and following up on detention conditions, collecting data on human rights violations during detention and defending the rights of persons detained by the authorities. Pending the adoption of a law that punishes torture, the Office has entered into consultations with judicial officials to develop a legal framework to combat torture. 19. The Office has also conducted sessions to train and raise awareness among police officers about the issue of torture and the rights of detainees. The United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, on 26 June, was an opportunity to launch a media campaign on this topic and organize conferences attended by specialists and civil society organizations. Obstacles to the implementation of existing recommendations 20. The difficulties highlighted in my previous report (A/HRC/13/64, para. 15) remain topical in that no significant measure has been taken to bring conditions in places of detention into line with international standards. The Government should, inter alia, allocate a specific budget for prisons and detention centres. Although efforts have been made to protect individuals against acts of torture and ill-treatment, they are still not sufficient. C. Sexual violence and impunity 21. Several recommendations were made to the Government in the past, particularly to abolish all provisions of Congolese law that discriminated against women, to denounce publicly and unequivocally all forms of violence against women, including domestic violence, and to ensure that the judicial system brings the perpetrators of such violations to justice promptly and impartially. Furthermore, the Government should establish and promote an effective mechanism to receive complaints of sexual violence, including in custodial facilities, to investigate every complaint and to provide victims with psychological and medical care. Finally, the State should pay damages to all victims of sexual violence committed by State agents and create a fund for this purpose in the national budget.11 Actions taken by the Government and the current situation 22. Sexual violence remains widespread despite the authorities’ efforts to stop it. The phenomenon is rampant throughout the country and affects thousands of women and children in particular. The recent mass rapes committed in Walikale territory exemplify this scourge and are proof that rape continues to be used as a weapon of war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.12 23. There is no question that the State has become aware that sexual violence poses a problem. However, the measures announced, such as tightening the requirements for granting bail to persons convicted of sexual violence, have not been adopted formally. To the judicial system’s credit, increasingly severe sentences have been handed down, including against members of security forces implicated in cases of sexual violence.13 For example, on 30 October, the Uvira military court sentenced five FARDC soldiers accused 11 12 13 8 See footnote 1. Report of the United Nations Joint Human Rights Office in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, published on 24 September 2010. See section G of this report, on the fight against impunity for the Congolese security forces. GE.11-10197