Before the testing and tortures began, the accused person was first asked to confess. Many people were already aware of the barbarity that would have lain in front of them and simply gave in and voluntarily confessed, although having no connection with it. The threat of torture, especially when it was graphically described, was also enough for some accused to make a confession which was then deemed voluntary. The investigators however, did not look too kindly upon an instant confession as they felt that they had just been made to avoid the pain and the confession might be false. They thought the only way to obtain the �correct� details were to torture the instant confessors into giving the �real� details, ending in execution either way. If there was no voluntary confession the trial would then proceed t the next stage � torture.
The cruelest tortures imaginable were administered on accused witches by the investigators in order to force a confession from them, to name accomplices, or identify other persons whom were also suspected of witchcraft.
Many of the torture devices were equipped to administer excruciating degrees of pain. People were driven to readily confess to crimes they probably never had committed and agree to anything in order for the pain and torture to stop. The majority of people fitting the stereotype of a witch, and thus frequently accused, were elderly women. Their minds and bodies far from able to withstand even the mildest of tortures often died during the process.
The questions asked by the investigators were fairly formulaic so that each confession was formulaic and regularly resembling one another. I believe this contributes largely to the way people perceive witches today. As the questions the investigators asked consisted of asking the accused if they rode on broomsticks, consorted with the devil, etc.
Not confessing under the sever tortures was not regarded as evidence of their innocence, instead being able to receive the level of physical pain was seen as unnatural and therefore evidence that the devil was helping the accused witch. If the torture failed the investigators solution was to go through with the execution.
The confession then had to be documented for it to be valid in court. The fact that the confession had been made rather than the actual details of the confession that had to be actually recorded.
After having confessed while being tortured the accused was to confirm the confession after a time of recovery. This was to avoid any suggestion that the confession had been obtained by force. It was not uncommon for the confessions to be made just before the scheduled time of the execution to lessen the pain of death. Confession at the stake was popular with the crowds at the place of execution as it added to the drama of the occasion.
Witches that had confessed fully to being in association with witchcraft were given the �leniency� of being strangled to death before being burned at the stake. This was much more preferable than having to experience the slow agony of being burnt alive.
RETRACTION OF A CONFESSION
For an accused witch to withdraw a confession was not an unknown occurrence. Many people did so just after the torture stopped or at the stake. This rarely did them any good and almost instantly resulted in renewed torture until they withdrew their retraction. People withdrawing confessions were used as evidence that the devil was helping them by advising them to use delaying tactics to prevent �the due course of the law�.
