How did torture affect confessions and accusations during witch trials?

The implementation of torture during early modern witch trials was a direct consequence of the shift toward the inquisitorial procedure. Because this legal system required either two witness statements or a confession to prove guilt for serious crimes, authorities utilized torture as a standard method to extract the necessary admissions.12

The impact of this practice on the trials was profound and devastating:

• False Confessions: Torture, or the credible threat of it, compelled accused individuals to admit to crimes they had not committed, including fantastical acts such as flying to the witches’ sabbath.12
• Chain Reactions: A critical consequence of using torture was that victims were often coerced into naming acquaintances as accomplices. These individuals were then arrested and subjected to the same pressure, creating a self-perpetuating cycle of accusations that could rapidly transform a single case into a large-scale local witch hunt.132

Ultimately, the reliance on torture to secure convictions was a primary driver in the proliferation of these trials, as it provided a mechanism to validate the prevailing stereotypes of Satanic conspiracy through forced testimony.12