For or Against Torture

Castellamonte · #1 10-13-2008, 06:19 PM

Spinning a little off the thread regarding Death Penalty, I started wondering if we could generate a lively discussion of torture. Specifically as it relates to terrorists or hardened criminals in an effort to extract information from them. Studies have shown for years that torture doesn't really work but...

...what do you think?

Robert · #2 10-13-2008, 06:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Castellamonte

Spinning a little off the thread regarding Death Penalty, I started wondering if we could generate a lively discussion of torture. Specifically as it relates to terrorists or hardened criminals in an effort to extract information from them. Studies have shown for years that torture doesn't really work but...

...what do you think?

This needs to get DR related very quickly, other wise it's head will be lopped off

suarezn · #3 10-13-2008, 07:13 PM

Hmmm...There are many people who feel that one contributor to the rise of crime in The DR is the fact that the police cannot torture people as they used to (well at least they are not supposed to...it still happens, but not as frequent as it used to).

Since the new penal code came into effect criminals are routinely released because of lack of proof and they are back on the street doing more crime in no time. It used to be the police could / would beat the crap out of anyone to extract confessions, they would hold relatives in jail until the accused turned himself in, etc...As much as I hate to admit it, these techniques were quite effective...but then again very prone to abuse.

Chip · #4 10-13-2008, 07:34 PM

With regard to releasing those arrested for crime, this has become a big problem - it is true if the victim doesn't follow up and do the papeleo that the criminals are often released without charges being pressed.

On the other hand, repeat offenders that establish a reputation as theives etc are dizque often killed here, assuming they have no connections, etc.

dv8 · #5 10-13-2008, 08:07 PM

i come from a communist country and a certain degree of torture was often used by the special police those days. we are talking of course mild stuff, in comparison to medieval ways: just good old beating, threats, sleep deprivation.
to make it DR related - seems like a beating is still a way to deal with criminals although not much as before (so i am told).
in any question about torture you have to ask yourself: who the hell would be people willing to do it? surely in order to torture (think more vietnam war horrors than simple smack in the face) you'd need a psychotic personality, what normal person would be willing to torture others?
in all due respect to those willing to cut off limbs of child rapists - would you do it as a job? cutting off balls, ripping off nails, burning faces with hot iron, poking eyes out? would you do it nine to five, 5 days a week, for 20 years? violence like that corrupts mentally.
not that i am against occasional beating, and it's far easier to get away with it in DR than in USA, just look at all those stories about arrests made by local police...

cobraboy · #6 10-13-2008, 08:33 PM

This thread is about staying married, right?

catcherintherye · #7 10-13-2008, 10:56 PM

This thread is about staying married, right?

Now that's the good ol' Cobra I remember. Funny, and to the point!

badpiece33 · #8 10-14-2008, 03:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by suarezn

Hmmm...There are many people who feel that one contributor to the rise of crime in The DR is the fact that the police cannot torture people as they used to (well at least they are not supposed to...it still happens, but not as frequent as it used to).

Since the new penal code came into effect criminals are routinely released because of lack of proof and they are back on the street doing more crime in no time. It used to be the police could / would beat the crap out of anyone to extract confessions, they would hold relatives in jail until the accused turned himself in, etc...As much as I hate to admit it, these techniques were quite effective...but then again very prone to abuse.

Wasn't the DR much safer under Baleguer, at least thats how i remember it. Beat the crap out of these criminals and they wont be so inclined to do it again.

cobraboy · #9 10-14-2008, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by badpiece33

Wasn't the DR much safer under Baleguer, at least thats how i remember it. Beat the crap out of these criminals and they wont be so inclined to do it again.

I've seen more than one occasion where a perp in the DR was...well...not exactly Miranda-ized by local gendarme.

I wouldn't call it torture. More of several eclamation points to remind them about the downside of behaving in an anti-social manner...

Castellamonte · #10 10-14-2008, 11:59 AM

I guess there are definitely different forms of torture as well as definitions for torture. Some consider marriage a form of self-inflicted torture where others feel lopping off ones balls is torture (not that I can see the difference ;-) ).

When I was a kid my dad would beat the crap outta me if I did something wrong. He had this big long board with holes drilled it in (aerodynamic, I guess) he used for swats. Believe me, it sure got my attention and I would do just any anything to keep it from happening again. But was that torture? Nah, I think not.

But a sharp crack upside the head is definitely a good way to get someones attention.

Actively setting about to torture someone, though, seems like it should only be used in extreme circumstances. And still I'm iffy about it.

For example, Person X kidnaps the 10th person in a row and has buried the preceding 9 people in graves while they were still alive, killing them all in a horrible way. The police catch Person X. Should use torture in an attempt to extract the location of the 10th person before they die as well?