Ticking time bomb scenario

As rescue torture is defined as the use of torture by a public official in the security, to compel a person to give evidence, to be protected by a threatened legal protection.

The name comes from the discussion about the kidnapping of eleven Jakob von Metzler in Frankfurt am Main. The then Vice- President of the Frankfurt police Wolfgang Daschner had ordered the kidnappers Magnus Gäfgen to threaten torture to learn the whereabouts of the victim. The criminal law specialist Professor Reinhard Merkel spoke in this context of " rescue torture " and called impunity for police officers in similar situations, resulting in a fierce debate about the topic relaxing.

Significant issues were also dealt with in Daschner process were, whether the rescue was torture with impunity and torture if applied could result in breach of their human dignity to the criminal proceedings.

The term was a candidate for the word of the year 2004.