Police in Bahrain have beaten children detained in protest-related cases last month and threatened them with rape and electric shocks, the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD) and Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a joint report that accused prosecutors and judges of enabling the abuse.

Family members and a local rights advocate said police rounded up at least 13 children aged 11-17 in early to mid-February, some for reportedly burning tires or blocking roads. 

The report highlighted one incident where police beat five children and threatened them with electric shocks from a car battery. In one instance, an officer struck a 13-year-old on the head and threatened him with rape, according to the report. 

“A police officer who threatens a 13-year-old with rape or electric shocks from a car battery is an abominable stain on Bahrain’s reputation,” said Sayed Ahmed AlWadaei, advocacy director at BIRD. “Bahraini police officers treated children as enemies who must be terrorized into confessing, while prosecutors and judges shut parents and lawyers out of proceedings.”