Originally Posted by Nightshade

Well actually if you read a bit more on the Milgram study they also put the people in direct contact with the "victim" by having them place the victims hand on a grounding plate in order for the shock to be administered.

So there was a certain amount of direct contact. They said the people in the study had an easier time handling their decision when they were third party indirectly responsible since they were not directly administering the torture process but instead facilitating in a "minor" role.