Where is torture most commonly used? • Torture is performed all over the world, but the main places where it is at is: – Iraq – Pakistan – China – Syria – Saudi Arabia What are some torture tactics? • The ancient torture tactics are – – – – – – – – – – Judas Cradle Saw Torture Pear of Anguish Breaking wheel Iron Chair Head Crusher Rat Torture Coffin Torture Breast Ripper Knee Splitter What the church thinks about it • The church is saying that it is a moral issue that needs to be fixed as soon as possible. Judas Cradle • Using ropes, a prisoner would be lowered above the pyramid-shaped "seat" with the point inserted into the anus or vagina. Victims would be tortured by intense pressure and stretching of the orifice, resulting in permanent damage. In many cases, the victim would succumb to rips in the muscle tissue that would later become infected. Weights would be added to facilitate the effect, often resulting in death by impalement. Saw Torture • This was done either by sawing the individual in half across or along the body length Pear of Anguish • This heinous contraption was used during the Middle Ages as a way to torture women who were accused of facilitating a miscarriage. It was also used to punish liars, blasphemers, and homosexuals. The device was inserted into one of the prisoner's orifices — the vagina for women, the anus for homosexuals, and the mouth for liars and blasphemers (which is why it's also known as the Choke Pear). Breaking Wheel • The device was typically a large wagon wheel with radial spokes. Offenders were were lashed to the wheel and their limbs beaten with a club or iron cudgel. The gaps in the wheel allowed the limbs to give way and break. Disturbingly, the survival time after being "broken" could be extensive, with some accounts of victims living for several days prior to succumbing to their mortal injuries. Iron Chair • This could go on for hours, sometimes days. The spikes did not penetrate vital organs and blood loss was minimized — at least until the person was released from the chair. Death often followed. The Iron Chair was often used as a psychological instrument of torture; victims would often confess after being forced to watch other prisoners being tortured by the device. Head Crusher • The device, which is basically a vise for the head, slowly crushes the skull and facial bones. Even if the torturer stopped before death, permanent damage to the facial muscles and structure would occur. Rat Torture • To make it work, prisoners were completely restrained and tied to the ground or any horizontal surface. A rat was then placed on the stomach covered by a metallic container, which was gradually heated. The rat began to look for a way out, which inevitably meant through the victim's body. Digging through the body usually took a few hours, resulting in a painful and gruesome death. Coffin Torture • The accused were placed inside a caged coffin, rendering them completely immobile. The period of time was determined by the crime, with some infractions, like blasphemy, punishable by death. Victims were often put on public display, where they would be mocked and abused by angry locals. Breast Ripper • The device, which was often heated during torture, contained four "claws" which were used to slowly and painfully rip off the breasts. The instrument would be latched onto a single breast of the woman. Blood sometimes splattered onto her children. If the woman did not die, she would be disfigured for the rest of her life Knee Splitter • The blocks, which were connected by two large screws, would be turned and made to close towards each other, destroying the knee underneath. The technique would render the knees useless. The number of spikes on the blocks varied from three to twenty, often depending on the nature of the crime and the status of the prisoner ISIS • http://www.military.com/video/operationsand-strategy/terrorism/a-second-message-toamerica/3763859346001/ Works Cited • http://list25.com/25-most-brutal-torturetechniques-ever-devised/ • http://www.amnestyusa.org/ourwork/issues/torture • http://io9.com/the-10-most-gruesometorture-techniques-from-medieval-e1626942115 • http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/isis-terror