Medieval Crime
and Punishment
Jazmyn Patterson
Bianka Zerpa
Medieval life
• Throughout the medieval period it was
believed that the only way to keep order was
to make sure that the people were scared of
the punishments given for crimes
committed. For this reason all crimes from
stealing to murder had harsh punishments.
Crime and Punishments
Crime and Punishments
Crime
Punishment
Treason
Death by hanging or execution
Theft
Babington conspirator
Publicly tortured. This could be
in the form of the Stocks or
medieval torture.
Hanged, Drawn and Quartered
Rebellion
Hung
Fraud
The stocks and imprisoned
Entering the same sex marriage The stocks and imprisoned.
Utter Humiliation
Murder
Death, hung or execution
Methods of Medieval
Torture
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Ripping out teeth and nails
Castration
Drowning
Roasting
Genital Mutilation
Limb/finger or tongue
removal
• Starvation
• Stoning
Crime and Punishment Roles
• Minor crime –lords had authority to
punish in local courthouse
• Sheriff/police –keep criminals under lock
and key
• Catholic church used torture and
imprisonment to obtain confessions
Punishment Tools
Punishment Tools
• The Rack: on one end
of the instrument was
used to fasten the
victims leg, and the
other side fastened the
hands. As the handle
would be moved the
ropes would eventually
dislocate the arms and
legs.
Punishment Tools
• The Scavengers
Daughter: The elongated
device compressed the
victims body in a low
crouching kneel-down
position. As the grip
would tighten on the
person it would cause
blood to crush out the
ear and nose.