Is torture ever ethical?
I’ve never agreed with any form of torture but then again I haven’t actually taken the time to think it through thoroughly.
Recently I heard the telling of a story regarding a perpetrator who was beaten by Police officers in order to reveal information. I believe this to be wholly wrong in almost all cases however the following scenario was quite different.
A car was stolen with an infant occupant still in the back seat after the mother had left it briefly unattended, granted a foolish act but we can argue about the mother’s failings another time. The vehicle was then dumped in an unknown location with the baby sealed inside the car in sweltering hot conditions. We don’t need to think too hard to imagine how the baby would physically degenerate if left in such peril. We often hear of animals almost being baked alive and dying in hot cars.
Luckily the car thief was witnessed carrying out the crime and due to his distinct appearance and notoriety with the local Police he was located and apprehended quickly.
Being uncooperative and unwilling to reveal the location of the car he was assaulted by the Police officers until he was forthcoming with the needed information thus saving the infant. I’d like to say the officers justifiably broke protocol in carrying out the act but I’m sure the counter to that would be ‘this happens all too often.’ In this case lets assume the officers were stand up custodians of the law.
As a civilised western society we look at torture as being an unethical practice, that’s the official line anyway. In this case the police acted unethically as officers of the law but as humans and probable fathers they acted in their god given form to protect and serve in the truest sense.
Ask yourself what would you do in a situation such as that?
This person in custody was responsible for the almost drip feed murder of an innocent child where time was the key factor in its survival. If that was my child torture would be my first and only instinct. I’m sure I’d have his toenails removed by noon with no loss of appetite for lunch.
But where does this stop?
Supposing the Police could not find the car thief but they apprehended a previous accomplice or a partner who possessed information as to his whereabouts. Perhaps the police have checked this persons phone and they have found a text reading ‘I’m hiding out at the usual place, I’m destroying my phone so I can’t be tracked.’
This new individual to our story is innocent of any crime except withholding the location of the thief. To save the infant do the Police officers beat this individual knowing they will receive a positive outcome? I think I’d still consider toenail removal in this scenario.
So is it ever ethical to torture? Yes in some cases most definitely!
All comments welcome, thanks…
I'd really want to be repeating the voice of reason as you can't guarantee that torture will result in getting the answer you seek... It's strange what levels of tolerance the human can endure...
Saying that, like yourself, if it was my child I was trying to find, I doubt I'd be wanting to lose any time in playing nicely...
It's certainly a dilemma. Like you said there is no guarantee you would get the right result!
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Torture is never ever a option!
Well in the only god blessed country it seems to be normal and widely tolerated, they run torture camps outside the country. This is well known.
What a good thing that the former president of this country closed Guantanamo, oh wait he only say he will do ...
Remember the Inqisition, the Witch-trails ... and the results?
Civilized humanity can never tolerate torture!
Yes I agree with you to a certain degree and that's why I found the account personally troubling.
So in that scenario what would be your position? Would you try and talk it through with the car thief hoping he would the relinquish the information in time? If that was my child then I would use whatever means necessary to gain access to its whereabouts.
It's a bit of an unfair 'straw man' argument I've made in favour of torture, it would be hard to justify the examples of torture you've cited.
As I say before, toture is not an option - the history teach us.
I also sometimes think: you should spank him so that he speak the truth. But stop Walter, you break the law. And, hell when I break the law how can I expect that others don't do it?
What if the one under torture is pushed to blame me?
Torture is arbitrary. With torture you can get results you want.
Can you, would you, trust in results that based on toture?
Torture can never be legal, covered by a law.
Then is this case the child dies...
Maybe and that is a bad thing.
But, which 'facts' could make torture legal?
That's the point, what the police did was not legal but was it ethical? I'd say 100 % yes. Not legal or societal ethics but human ethics. They saved a child's life so the wrong outweighs the right massively.
So you say: do you make the law that suits your needs when you think you need it?
A few years ago the police in Germany were acting during an abduction in the way, they say to the accused that they would torture him. They covered his eyes, put a gun on his head, etc.
Result: The man says everything he thinks they like to hear.
Result: investigations in the wrong direction, etc. As this act became public. The results, which the police made, were not valid in court. The policemen are imprisoned.
There is only one way: A strict no to torture.
There can be no 'relative' laws.
I think 'law' is the issue then. I would say there needs to be some movement where circumstance calls for extreme measures, who decides this, who knows?
Breaking it down as simple as I can... if I could save the life of a child by inflicting pain on somebody obviously guilty of the crime then yes I would, If that is seen as torture then so be it. It's a troubling quandary because it's a debate whether right or wrong are the same as legal or illegal and I'd say in this case the constraints of legality should be breached in order for the 'right' outcome.