In medieval Europe, various torture devices were created to extract confessions and punish the accused. Among these was the Scavenger’s Daughter, a cruel invention from England during King Henry VIII’s reign. Designed by Leonard Skeffington, the device was rarely used, but it gained a terrifying reputation.
Unlike the well-known Rack, which stretched victims, the Scavenger’s Daughter operated through compression. Victims were strapped to an A-frame structure, forcing their bodies into a painful sitting position that caused severe physical harm.
Despite its brutal impact, the Scavenger’s Daughter was relatively simple to construct. Its existence highlights the extremes to which authorities went for confessions in Tudor England. As we reflect on this dark history, it serves as a reminder of the importance of human rights and the progress made in justice, warning us about humanity’s capacity for cruelty in the name of law.
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