The survey was taken only four months after the terror attacks in the French capital of Paris, where 141 people were killed and many more wounded.
36 percent of respondents said that in exceptional circumstances, torture should be allowed on terror suspects. 54 percent of French nationals agree that even if a person is only suspected of planting a bomb they should be subjected to electric shocks.
18% des Français se sentent capables de pratiquer la torture. https://t.co/QM75G3DkRv pic.twitter.com/TygEbMqanm
— ACAT (@ACAT_France) June 21, 2016
Whilst a further 18 percent said they would in fact like to carry out the method of torture, when the National Front was questioned, this number increased to 40 percent.
However, for the organizers of the survey, these results are concerning and only prove that people are now more inclined to use torture as a tool against terrorists and even those who are only suspects.
"It is very worrying over a third of French people think that special circumstances can justify torture. Even more frightening is the fact that faced with the scenario of a bomb, more than half of those surveyed support the use of torture," Jean-Etienne de Linares, CEO of ACAT said.
After terror attacks in #Paris,#French people much more in favor of torture on terrorists:54% for it when suspect has info on a ticking bomb
— Olivier Guitta (@OlivierGuitta) 21 June 2016
In addition to this, one in two French adults do not feel concerned by torture and the younger generation are even less worried then their elders. There are also some preconceptions of torture that French nationals have wrong. 39 percent of those surveyed consider religious and ethnic groups to be the main people who are tortured, however in reality it is political and common criminals who are tortured the most.
More than 100 people have been arrested in #France in 2016 for links to terrorism, says Interior Min Cazeneuve.
— Alexander Marquardt (@MarquardtA) 14 June 2016
At least 51 percent of French adults think that guerrillas and armed groups carry out the most torture, however it is in fact they who tend to be tortured the most by governments and agents of states.
