The Law, Crime, Torture and Punishment - Thumbscrews
There were no laws or rules to protect the treatment of prisoners who faced torture or punishment, such as the Thumbscrews. No matter what the type of torture or punishment was used it was seen as a totally legitimate means for justice to extract confessions, obtain the names of accomplices, obtain testimonies or confessions or to impose a penalty, sanctioned by law for a wrong committed.The following description provides facts and information about the Thumbscrews.

Facts and Information about the Thumbscrews
The use of thumbscrews was a common method of inflicting intense pain on prisoners. The thumbscrew was a simple device designed to crush whatever was inserted. Typically thumbs, but even fingers or toes, were placed in the vice and slowly crushed. The crushing process was achieved by varying degrees of the screws which were applied and its toothed iron bars. The force of Medieval Thumbscrews was such that they bone could be crushed and broken. The Medieval Thumbscrews were useful to interrogators as they were a portable means of torture and not restricted to the confines of the torture chamber.