In the dark ages torture was used on;
- Spies
- Traitors or thieves
- Rebellious people
- Witch craft
- Military disobedience
- People guilty of sodomy
- Women guilty of adultery
- People guilty of incest or sexual union with Satan
- Heretical preachers
- Blasphemers
When a person was to receive punishment it was mainly given in the town’s main square, to communicate to the villages what would happen if they committed certain crimes.