Two male political dissidents in Egypt, Omar el-Shouekh and Fadi Samir, reported that while in police detention in Cairo they were beaten, tortured and subjected to sexual assault.
Their claim brings renewed attention to a phenomenon that is largely ignored and poorly addressed but that causes significant psychological and physical damage to its victims: sexual abuse of males. New legal instruments have to be put in place to address what is a serious human rights and medical problem.
Male rape is widespread, particularly in conflict situations. Because few men report cases of rape, statistics under-represent the actual number of men who are sexually assaulted.