Juan Aburto still gets a bit fearful at the sight of police in Sydney, even though he has been in Australia for four decades, because he still carries the memories of being tortured by the Augusto Pinochet regime in Chile.
One of the youngest survivors of the brutal dictatorship, he was only 16 when he was blindfolded and forcibly disappeared until a lifeline was extended to him by Australia which gave him and his family refuge.
"One of the main things that torture does to your brain is create fear ... so as a person with torture and trauma, going through a police check creates a triggering impact on me," Mr Aburto said.
