Interesting perspective, I agree with your observations, but I don't know if it's really a manifestation of those people not caring about torture so much as it seems like a problem with which they do not have direct experience and thus do not have the emotional immediacy involved with something that more directly affects them.
For example, I might find my neighbour's loud music at three in the morning evokes more of an emotional response than the spanish inquisition, but that doesn't actually imply I think that my neighbour's loud music at three in the morning is really more important or severe than the spanish inquisition.
For example, I might find my neighbour's loud music at three in the morning evokes more of an emotional response than the spanish inquisition, but that doesn't actually imply I think that my neighbour's loud music at three in the morning is really more important or severe than the spanish inquisition.