on the blind and disabled in Spain

In contrast to modern judicial practice, hearsay was an important aspect of early modern evidence, forming a central part of how details of a crime were presented and verified. However, what happened when another subjective layer was added to this kind of evidence? This chapter examines violent crimes committed against blind individuals in the Kingdom of Navarre and the ways courts handled the unique evidence that the blind produced about their experiences. By comparing depositions and witness testimony, this chapter considers how victims crafted testimony based upon what they were told had happened, including visual-based observations, and then how they combined visual testimony with other forms of sensory and situational perception. Framed by other kinds of assaults committed against people with physical and mental disabilities, this chapter engages with questions about the intersection between disability and violent crime and the ways in which the court system adapted to accommodate the kinds of evidence the blind could and did produce.