Punishment in the Medieval times was alot more harsher than modern day punishment. In medieval Europe punishments were things like death, torture, hanging or the cutting off of a body part or being burnt and stretched People in the community got to help decide on the persons punishment depending on the crime but the knights and kings made the final decision. People were charged for things like murder stealing or not paying taxes.
Torture was sometimes used as a way to get people to confess something either a crime or for a religious matter. There were three methods to test whether a person subjected to crime was guilty or innocent, the first was ordeal by fire this was where you were made to step three paces with a hot iron bar in your hand and then after three days if your wounds were healing you were innocent and if they weren't you were guilty. The second method was ordeal by water this was where your hands and feet were tied together you were then thrown into a lake and if you floated you were guilty and if you sank you were innocent. The final was ordeal by combat, this was used when someone accuses someone of something so the accuser and the person who was accused have to fight and whoever wins is right and the loser will usually be dead at the end of the fight.
Torture was sometimes used as a way to get people to confess something either a crime or for a religious matter. There were three methods to test whether a person subjected to crime was guilty or innocent, the first was ordeal by fire this was where you were made to step three paces with a hot iron bar in your hand and then after three days if your wounds were healing you were innocent and if they weren't you were guilty. The second method was ordeal by water this was where your hands and feet were tied together you were then thrown into a lake and if you floated you were guilty and if you sank you were innocent. The final was ordeal by combat, this was used when someone accuses someone of something so the accuser and the person who was accused have to fight and whoever wins is right and the loser will usually be dead at the end of the fight.