30. Horrorhaus Höxter 1: Do you need to be a sadist to torture people?

In the middle of a snowstorm in April 2016 a car broke down on the outskirts of a sleepy German town. Angelika, a middle-aged woman, stepped out and knocked on a neighbour’s door asking for help. Wilfried, her partner, stayed behind. But, why did the woman in the back of their car have so many injuries? What had happened to her? In this episode of Bad People, presenters Dr Julia Shaw and Sofie Hagen discuss a famous German case of abuse and torture which shocked the country. They talk about the link between domestic violence and torture, and whether you need to be a sadist to inflict such pain onto others. This is part one of two. Warning: This episode contains descriptions of extreme violence, including sexual violence. Presenters: Dr Julia Shaw and Sofie Hagen Producer: Simona Rata Matt Chandler Editor: Rami Tzabar Academic Consultants for The Open University: Lara Frumkin and James Munro Commissioning Assistant Producer: Adam Eland Commissioning Executive: Dylan Haskins

Bad People is produced in partnership with The Open University and is a BBC Audio Science Production for BBC Sounds #BadPeople_BBC