Torture murder

In many legal jurisdictions a murder involving "exceptional brutality or cruelty" will attract a harsher sentence.

[1][2] In the 21st century, many of the murders of foreigners in and citizens of Iraq and Syria committed by members of the terrorist organization Daesh have been preceded by torture.

Film footage of the persecution of Muslims in Myanmar documents the aftermath and testimony of torture murder by government forces,[3] and evidence has linked torture murder with many other massacres, war crimes, and genocides, both contemporary and historical.

In the laws of Italy, Germany, Norway, and many parts of the United States, there are two or more "degrees" of murder, with wording such as: "...inflicting torture upon the victim prior to the victim's death"[4] typically used to rule that the highest degree should apply.

In other jurisdictions, it may be that even if there was just one crime of murder, the sentencing practices and guidelines are such that the aggravating circumstance of any torture will nevertheless allow for a harsher than normal penalty, up to and including life imprisonment.