User blog comment:IamJakuhoRaikoben/Chapter 373: Life or Death?, Review./@comment-5233713-20140228215051/@comment-7418318-20140301120842

Sure it was a very bad thing to take Asuka hostage, but with Flare, there was the benefit of the doubt. Since Lucy never called her out on it, there's the possibility that Flare was only bluffing. But either way Flare only did what she was ordered to do and if she hadn't, Ivan would have brutalized her (he ended up doing it anyway, even though she followed his orders).

Minerva on the other hand tortured and almost killed Lucy, there is no doubt about that and she did it of her own will.