Strappado

The strappado, also known as corda, is a form of torture wherein the victim's hands are tied behind his or her back and suspended by a rope attached to the wrists, typically resulting in dislocated shoulders. Weights may be added to the body to intensify the effect and increase the pain. This kind of torture would generally not last more than an hour, without rest, as it would likely result into death.

Other names for strappado include "reverse hanging", "Palestinian hanging" (although it is not used by the Palestinian Authority) and il tormento della corda. Historically, it was used by the medieval Inquisition and many governments, such as the civil law court (1543-1798) of the Order of St. John at the Castellania in Valletta, Malta.

The proper strappado causes permament visible damage. Pain and resistance is different from person to person, generally due to the weight of the person himself/herself or the weight attached. It is not, as Samuel Johnson erroneously entered in his dictionary, a "chastisement by blows".

There are three variants of this torture. In the first, the victim has his or her arms tied behind their back; a large rope is then tied to the wrists and passed over a pulley, beam, or a hook on the roof. The torturer pulls on this rope until the victim is hanging from the arms. Since the hands are tied behind the victim's back, this will cause a very intense pain and possible dislocation of the arms. The full weight of the subject's body is then supported by the extended and internally rotated shoulder sockets. While the technique shows no external injuries, it can cause long-term nerve, ligament, or tendon damage. The technique typically causes brachial plexus injury, leading to paralysis or loss of sensation in the arms.

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