How did inquisitors use confessions to identify additional suspects?

In the context of the Inquisition, inquisitors utilized confessions as a primary tool to expand their investigations and identify additional suspects.

When an inquisitor arrived in a district, they typically declared a period of grace. During this time, individuals were encouraged to voluntarily confess their own involvement in heresy as well as the involvement of others in exchange for lighter penances. The inquisitors systematically used these voluntary admissions to compile lists of names. Those identified by the confessors were subsequently summoned to appear before a tribunal to answer for their alleged actions.12

Failure to appear after being summoned was treated as evidence of guilt, further solidifying the inquisitor's control over the proceedings. This method of gathering information through the testimony of others was a fundamental aspect of how the institution functioned to combat heresy throughout its history.12