Kneecapping is a form of malicious wounding, often as
torture
Torture is the deliberate infliction of severe pain or suffering on a person for reasons including corporal punishment, punishment, forced confession, extracting a confession, interrogational torture, interrogation for information, or intimid ...
, in which the victim is injured in the
knee
In humans and other primates, the knee joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two joints: one between the femur and tibia (tibiofemoral joint), and one between the femur and patella (patellofemoral joint). It is the largest joint in the hu ...
. The injury is typically inflicted by a low-velocity
gunshot to the
knee pit with a
handgun
A handgun is a firearm designed to be usable with only one hand. It is distinguished from a long gun, long barreled gun (i.e., carbine, rifle, shotgun, submachine gun, or machine gun) which typically is intended to be held by both hands and br ...
. The term is considered a misnomer by medical professionals because only a very small minority of victims suffer damage to the
kneecap
The patella (: patellae or patellas), also known as the kneecap, is a flat, rounded triangular bone which articulates with the femur (thigh bone) and covers and protects the anterior articular surface of the knee joint. The patella is found in m ...
. A review of eighty kneecapping victims found that only two had a fractured kneecap. Some victims have their
elbow
The elbow is the region between the upper arm and the forearm that surrounds the elbow joint. The elbow includes prominent landmarks such as the olecranon, the cubital fossa (also called the chelidon, or the elbow pit), and the lateral and t ...
s and
ankle
The ankle, the talocrural region or the jumping bone (informal) is the area where the foot and the leg meet. The ankle includes three joints: the ankle joint proper or talocrural joint, the subtalar joint, and the inferior tibiofibular joint. The ...
s shot as well.
Treatment
The severity of the injury can vary from simple
soft tissue
Soft tissue connective tissue, connects and surrounds or supports internal organs and bones, and includes muscle, tendons, ligaments, Adipose tissue, fat, fibrous tissue, Lymphatic vessel, lymph and blood vessels, fasciae, and synovial membranes. ...
damage to a knee joint fracture with
neurovascular damage. The latter requires several weeks in hospital and intensive
outpatient
A patient is any recipient of health care services that are performed by healthcare professionals. The patient is most often ill or injured and in need of treatment by a physician, nurse, optometrist, dentist, veterinarian, or other healt ...
physiotherapy
Physical therapy (PT), also known as physiotherapy, is a healthcare profession, as well as the care provided by physical therapists who promote, maintain, or restore health through patient education, physical intervention, disease preventio ...
for recovery. If the damage is too great,
amputation
Amputation is the removal of a Limb (anatomy), limb or other body part by Physical trauma, trauma, medical illness, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as cancer, malign ...
may be necessary, but this rarely occurs. In
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...
thirteen people had their legs amputated as a consequence of limb punishment shootings over the duration of
the Troubles
The Troubles () were an ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted for about 30 years from the late 1960s to 1998. Also known internationally as the Northern Ireland conflict, it began in the late 1960s and is usually deemed t ...
. In the long term it is estimated that one out of five victims will walk with a
limp for the rest of their lives.
History
During the Troubles in Northern Ireland,
paramilitaries considered themselves to be law enforcers in their own areas. They used limb shootings to 'punish' alleged "political" and "normal" criminals. The IRA defined "political" crime as informing or fraternizing with British soldiers, while "normal" crime was judged to include vandalism, theft, joyriding, rape, selling drugs, and
antisocial behaviour. See
Paramilitary punishment attacks in Northern Ireland.
If the crime was considered to be grave, the victim was also shot in the ankles and elbows, leaving them with six gunshot wounds (colloquially known as a six pack). Approximately 2,500 people were victims of these paramilitary attacks, known as 'punishment shootings' at the time, through the duration of the conflict. Those who were attacked often faced
social stigma
Stigma, originally referring to the visible marking of people considered inferior, has evolved to mean a negative perception or sense of disapproval that a society places on a group or individual based on certain characteristics such as their ...
.
The
Red Brigades
The Red Brigades ( , often abbreviated BR) were an Italian far-left Marxist–Leninist militant group. It was responsible for numerous violent incidents during Italy's Years of Lead, including the kidnapping and murder of Aldo Moro in 1978, ...
, an Italian militant organization, employed limb shootings () to warn their opponents. They used the method to punish at least 75 people up to December 1978.
The
Bangladesh Police have started kneecapping in the country since 2009 to punish the opposition and prevent them from participating in protests against the government.
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Headquartered in New York City, the group investigates and reports on issues including War crime, war crimes, crim ...
(HRW) has published a report on kneecapping in
Bangladesh
Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...
.
During the
Israeli–Palestinian conflict
The Israeli–Palestinian conflict is an ongoing military and political conflict about Territory, land and self-determination within the territory of the former Mandatory Palestine. Key aspects of the conflict include the Israeli occupation ...
, Hamas kneecapped
Gazans suspected of working with Israel. Amnesty International published a report on kneecapping in Gaza and called on Hamas to end “the campaign of abuses.”
During th
march of returnon 30th March 2018, Israeli snipers boasted about shooting mostly unarmed Palestinian protestors in the knees at an overwhelmingly peaceful protest according to the UN and multiple air organizations. Amnesty International condemned the unlawful maiming and attacks on the protesters.
See also
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Hamstringing
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Tarring and feathering
Citations
General sources
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kneecapping
Assault
Knee
Knee injuries and disorders
Torture
The Troubles (Northern Ireland)
Vigilantism
Human rights abuses in Palestine