Though many people think torture is an arcane form of punishment, the truth is that it’s still often used today. Here, we present our list of the top 10 most gruesome torture methods that have ever been used. Check out part one below, and stay tuned for part two, coming soon!
Number Ten: Necklacing. The brutal act of necklacing involves a tire being filled with gas and placed around a person’s chest and arms. The tire is then lit on fire and begins to burn everything around (or inside) it. It can take up to 20 minutes for a person to die this way, and in the meantime, they will suffer intense pain and severe burns. This method was used in the 1970s and 1980s on thieves and rapists but is not often used today.
Number Nine: The Rack. The rack was a popular torture method in Medieval Europe. The unlucky torture victim would be placed on a table with two rollers on either side. The person’s wrists are tied to one roller, and their ankles are tied to the other. Another person then begins to pull a crank that takes the rollers away from each other. As the rollers move farther and farther apart, the torture victim’s joints are dislocated and separated, and their muscles eventually lose the ability to contract.
Number Eight: Rat in a Bucket. It’s common knowledge that rats will do anything to escape to safety. For the “rat in a bucket” torture method, rats are placed on the victim’s bare stomach, and a bowl is placed over them. Hot coals are then placed on the bowl, giving the rats the sensation that they are soon going to burn to death. To escape the heat, the rats chew their way through the victim’s bowels.
Number Seven: Head Crusher. The head crusher is exactly that – a head crusher. The victim’s head is placed between a rounded iron cap and a metal plate, and their skull is slowly crushed to bits. However, most people survive to experience the sensation of their eyes popping out of their sockets before they die.
Number Six: Tucker Telephone. The Tucker telephone was used prolifically on prisoners. It is a shocking apparatus in which a ground wire is connected from a telephone to the victim’s big toe, and a hot wire is then attached to the prisoner’s genitalia. The prisoner is then shocked as the phone cranks. Stay tuned for part two of our list of the top 10 most gruesome torture methods, coming soon!