Physical Torture

Severe beating of soles REF: Textbook of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology: Principles and Practice, 5/e By Krishan Vij page 192

See APPENDIX-41 for “PHYSICAL METHODS OF TORTURE/ CORPORAL PUNISHMENT”

“Foot whipping, variously known as bastinado, falanga (phalanga), and falaka (falaqa), is a form of corporal punishment whereby the soles of the feet are beaten with an object such as a cane or rod, a club, a piece of wood, a stout leather bullwhip, or a flexible bat of heavy rubber. It is also sometimes favoured as a form of torture because, although extremely painful, it leaves few physical marks, though evidence can be detected via ultrasound technology”

Beating on the soles with blunt object [Ref. Reddy 25/e, p 257http://medinl I? ic in/jal/t04/i2/jalt04i2p66.pdf]

Methods of torture

1. Beatings:

– To the soles of the feet (falanga, falaka, baatinada)

– With the palms on both the ears simultaneously (el telefone)

– On the abdomen, while lying on a table with the upper half of the body unsupported (operating table, el quirofano)

2. Suspension:

– By the wrist (la bandera)

– By the arms or neck

– By the ankles (mercelago)

– Head down, from a horizontal pole placed under the knees, with the wrists bound to the ankles (parrot’s perch, jack, pau de arara)

– Bhutanese technique – tight clamping of the thighs or legs with bamboo, sometimes for a number of days. The torturer may press the two sides of the clamps with his legs or may stand on the two sides of the clamps (chepuwa)

3.Near suffocation:

– Forced immersion of head in water, often contaminated (wet submarine, pileta, latina)

– Tying of a plastic bag covering the head and face (dry submarine)

4. Electric:

– Torturing with electric shocks, usually placing electricity terminals in the vagina, mouth, anus, or over testicles and nipples (picana)

– Heated metal skewer inserted into the anus (black slave).

5.Forced posture:

– Prolonged standing (el planton)

– Forced straddling of a bar (saw horse, el cabellete)

ANSWER-A

The victim may be suspended upside down and then beaten on the soles by blunt instruments such as sticks, clubs or rifle butts [bastinado or falanga].

Falanga involves beating on sole of feet. In dunking the victim is immersed in water.

In water boarding the victim is immobilised in a supine position with head inclined downwards and water is poured on the face.

• Falanga (falaka, bastinado): In this canes or rods are used to beat on the soles of the feet, which is very painful and debilitating.
• Web submarino, latina: Forced immersion of head often contaminated with urine or faeces, until the stage of suffocation.
• Dry submarino: Tying of a plastic bag over the head up to the point of suffocation.

Bell (campana): a method of torture leaving no external marks in which a person’s head is placed within a pail or other metal container which is then struck repeatedly, causing sudden loud sounds and reverberations

A i.e. Beating on soles with blunt object

Ans. Declaration of Tokyo

• Torture (Latin tortura: act of twisting) is ‘a deliberate, systemic or wanton infliction of physical or mental suffering by one or more persons acting alone or on the orders of any authority, to force another person to yield information, to make a confession, or for any other reason’ (as per WMA’s Declaration of Tokyo).
• This declaration states that doctors should refuse to participate in, condone or give permission for torture, degradation or cruel treatment of prisoners or detainees

Ans. Hitting the feet with stick

Ans. is ‘d’ i.e., Chepuwa

Physical torture

• Torture is defined as deliberate, systemic or wanton infliction of physical or mental suffering by one or more persons acting alone or on the orders of any authority, to force a person to yield information, to make a confession or for any other reason.
• Torture may be physical or psychological. Important methods of physical torture are :‑

1. Beating : Beating may be of following types  ‑

1. Falanga (Falolka/Baatinada) : Beating of soles of feet with blunt object.
2. Telefono : Simultaneous beating of both ears with palms.
3. Quirofana : Beating on abdomen while upper half of body lying unsupported on table.

2. Electric : Electric torture may be –

1. Piacana : Placing electric wires in vagina, mouth, anus or over nipples and testis.
2. Black slave : Heated metal skewer inserted into anus.

3. Near suffocation : These are –

1. Dry submarine : Plastic bag covering head and face.
2. Wet submarine (Labaneva/Latina/Pileta): Forced immersion of victim’s head in water, often contaminated with urine or vomit or blood.

4. Suspension : Suspension may be –

1. La-Bandera : By wrist.
2. Mercelago : By ankles.

5. Forced posture : It may be ‑

1. Planton : Prolonged standing.
2. Cabellete (Saw horse) : Forced struddling of a bar.
3. Parrot’s perch (Jack/paude Grava) : Head down by a horizontal pole placed under knees, with the wrists bound to the ankles.
4. Chepuwa : Tight clamping of thighs or legs with bamboo, and the torturer may press two sides of clamps with his legs or may stand on two sides of clamps (practiced on Bhutanese refugees in Nepal).

Ans. is ‘d’ i.e., Offences committed on board aircraft

Tokyo Convention Act 1975

Conventions on offences and certain acts committed while onboard aircraft is carried out in India under the Tokyo Convention Act, 1975.

Declaration of Tokyo ( 1975) is related to torture and other cruel and degrading treatment or punishment.