Several thousand torture survivors live their lives in Norway, and far too many of them do not get the help and support they ought to. Globally, this group numbers several million people. Torture leaves physical traces on the body, but it is the invisible traces that are most difficult to live with – and make torture survivors both vulnerable and invisible to society.

In this book, we hear from 25 torture survivors in Norway who, individually and collectively, provide insight into how complicated and arduous it can be to repair one’s life when someone else has tried to destroy it. We also hear from eight professionals and from others involved in the work of documenting injuries and rehabilitating torture survivors.

The book is available in both Norwegian and English editions, and is being released to mark the 35th anniversary of the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment in 1987. Today, the Convention has been ratified by 162 countries.