There is a South African proverb, dating from the apartheid era, that goes like this: "How do you catch an elephant? You catch a mouse and keep beating it up until it admits it's really an elephant."
Ridiculous as this may sound, there is an echo of truth here. Torture hurts. That's the whole point of it.
So if someone is tortured badly enough they will say anything to make it stop, including making things up that they think their tormentors will want to hear.
Prisons in certain Middle Eastern countries, especially Syria, are crammed full of people who are being abused so badly they will eventually sign any "confession" to make the treatment stop. In some countries forced confessions remain to this day the primary tool in the prosecutor's armoury.
This post was written by: Author Name
Your description comes here!
Get Free Email Updates to your Inbox!
Post a Comment