German Cannibal on Trial

Axtech · Post by **Axtech** » 12/10/2003, 6:56 am

http://www.thetruthseeker.co.uk/article.asp?ID=374

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3075897.stm

This 41 year old man went on to message boards for cannibals, asking for willing victims to be "slaughtered" and used for meat. He actually did get a response (one that is officially known of). The two men met at the cannibal's house. Apparently the whole act was very sexual, and video taped. They agreed to cut off the man's penis, and they both ate it. The first then stabbed the victim to death, cut him up, and froze the parts for future use.

Users of the message boards allerted the police to their agreement, so the man was caught last December, and is now on trial. When he was caught, he admitted to the crime, and to the fact that he was looking for more willing people to "slaughter".

His defence is that the alleged "murder" was consensual.

What do you think?

Eelco · Post by **Eelco** » 12/10/2003, 7:03 am

Yeah, that's pretty sick. Apparantly cannabilism isn't even illegal in Germany, at least there are no laws about it. It's still murder though.

Axtech · Post by **Axtech** » 12/10/2003, 7:05 am

I saw this on some morning show thing, and they said that he actually ate the guy's thigh with a side of brussel sprouts and some champagne.

Gee, I wonder if they were alluding to something...?

doug · Post by **doug** » 12/10/2003, 5:06 pm

this is too fucked up for words.

Mechanical Thought · Post by **Mechanical Thought** » 12/10/2003, 6:24 pm

I gotta agree with Doug here. What the hell do you say to something like this?! :freak:

Long Jonny · Post by **Long Jonny** » 12/10/2003, 6:29 pm

yeah, really... there aren't words

Axtech · Post by **Axtech** » 12/10/2003, 6:52 pm

Technically, the guy should not get charged with murder. He should get charged with a euthanasia-related sentance. I mean, he obviously can't invite emotionally unstable and suicidal people to his house to be slaughtered. But it was a form of euthanasia.

However, due to the crudeness of the crime, the sentance will likely end up more severe than it should.

Axtech · Post by **Axtech** » 12/10/2003, 6:53 pm

Oh, and another little detail that I found out...

The penis was cooked in ginger.

Happy eating, folks.

happening fish · Post by **happening fish** » 12/10/2003, 7:54 pm

Wait... how is stabbing someone to death after cutting off their penis relatable to euthanasia?

Axtech · Post by **Axtech** » 12/10/2003, 8:04 pm

Because it was consensual.

Obviously, the man is disturbed. But murder is not the charge he should be looking it. This is a whole new ball game.

Johnny · Post by **Johnny** » 12/10/2003, 8:19 pm

Well, the cannibal dude obviously has a few loose screws. The victem? Well he was a werido as well. I mean, who the hell wants to be slaughtered and frozen for future use?

*shudders*

happening fish · Post by **happening fish** » 12/10/2003, 8:21 pm

Oh also, this wasn't the first person to respond to his ads. He said he had several responses and invited a couple other people come over for an interview but decided not to choose them.

Johnny · Post by **Johnny** » 12/10/2003, 8:23 pm

Goodness. People these days are strange.

clumsychild_ · Post by **clumsychild_** » 12/10/2003, 8:44 pm

I heard on the radio he got something like 400 responses..

:uh:

What the hell is wrong with this world?

Axtech · Post by **Axtech** » 12/10/2003, 8:59 pm

happeningfish wrote:Oh also, this wasn't the first person to respond to his ads. He said he had several responses and invited a couple other people come over for an interview but decided not to choose them.

Apparently the cops also found what they describe as a lot of video tapes. I'm assuming this wasn't his only choice, either...

Johnny · Post by **Johnny** » 12/10/2003, 9:03 pm

Hmmmm

Video Tapes eh?

was that his menu?

thirdhour · Post by **thirdhour** » 12/10/2003, 9:44 pm

um wow...i think i'm disturbed enough by this to last me the rest of my life :uh:

Narbus · Post by **Narbus** » 12/10/2003, 10:21 pm

Just so you all know what kind of campus I attend...

Psycho Columnist wrote:Ironically, because of an inexplicable feeling of moral obligation, I'm going to use my last column of the semester to stand up for the bad guy.

Not every bad guy and not just any random guy of ill repute. This villain is one of the least sympathy-inspiring, most disturbing folks this side of a David Lynch film.

Perhaps you've heard of the German cannibal who's got the BBC (and everybody else) all astir? According to their reports, as well as those from Australian and German papers, Armin Miewes of Rotenburg, Germany, is on trial for butchering and eating Bernd-Jurgen Brandes. Think that's nuts? There's more.

Allegedly, after putting out an ad on the Internet for healthy young men who desired to be consumed, Miewes received more than 400 e-mails in response. Several chickened out and a few were turned down, a couple of them for being too fat. When the defendant came across the response of the victim, however, proverbial rockets went off and an intense friendship was forged.

After meeting up at a train station and traveling to Miewes' home, the victim expressed on videotape his desire to be consumed. Further, he apparently had a great yearning for his genitals to be cut off and eaten as well. I'll spare you the majority of the gory details (they're easily accessible online, though, if you really, really want), but Miewes, upon the victim's request, cut off Brandes' penis and flambéed it. After the odd couple ate it together with wine, the defendant stabbed the consenting victim to death.

After hearing about this story for the first time I was left with a complete feeling of "... Well, huh."

And perhaps you'll disagree with me on this -- you're certainly free to -- but I just can't get over the nagging feeling this guy shouldn't be convicted.

Wait! Wait! Don't leave! Let me explain. And no seriously, I didn't pick this topic to be sensationalistic or obscene (contrary to the probable raised eyebrows of a few), but because I think our most basic freedom is the right to choose what happens to our own bodies.

While no one really knows what was going on in the head of 43-year-old Bernd-Jurgen Brandes when he spoke calmly about having craved such a fate since childhood, Miewes claims the guy came across as "very intelligent" and "didn't see any sign that he was disturbed."

My guess is that on a day-to-day basis the dude was deceptively normal but deep down a few celery sticks short of a lunchbox. Does that change the fact that he wants what he wants? Does that change the fact he deserves happiness and the chance to go do whatever crazy, loopy, zany nonsense sounds like fun?

In the cases of severely mentally ill persons, especially the psychotic, we tend to prevent them from harming themselves. But no one in Brandes' life gives the impression that the guy was out of touch with reality. His ex-girlfriend said the guy was normal, as was their sex life. And prosecutors know their case is severely limited because of the video evidence of the victim's blatant consent and his otherwise apparent mental soundness.

Despite the fact Germany's laws on cannibalism, "killing by request" and "murder for sexual purposes," differ from those of the United States, we should still take notes on this one. We have no reason to expect America is immune to what psychiatric professionals like to refer to as nutballs and whackjobs. Besides, one thing we do have in common is our national interest in protecting the freedoms of individuals. It is solely because of this that I believe Miewes shouldn't get sent up the river.

We demand the liberty to live our lives how we please, even if it means never eating vegetables or brushing our teeth. Often we insist that the government butt out of our bedrooms, clubs and churches because we, as legal adults, have the right to choose for ourselves. Why then would it suddenly become anyone else's business if we decide to end our lives?

You go about your day fulfilling responsibilities in hopes that it will entitle you to some liberties. You want to be able to choose where you work and live, how your free time is spent, with whom you may consort and what topics you discuss. Miewes and Brandes had the same wants, their tastes just happen to be what the majority of people consider unappealing. Is that something we should hold against them? Bad taste?

Perhaps the right to die is the one area where people divide in opinion and remain entrenched. Whether it's euthanasia, suicide or in the case of Brandes, a stated desire, some believe we do not have that kind of power. Maybe religious reasons motivate them, but that doesn't warrant making a law governing non-believers.

Maybe, though, they're looking out for the survivors. In cases where your death would result in unnecessary harm to others, do you lose the freedom to die at will? The complication of children aside, historically we've not thought that way in other aspects of life. For instance, you can marry someone your parents despise, move to a city your friends hate and get a tattoo your employer thinks is ugly. It's ultimately up to you even if it makes others uncomfortable.

And gee whiz are people getting uncomfortable about this case. Yet we have to look past natural aversions, feelings of disgust and moral condemnation to consider, at least momentarily, if it really is any of our business. Miewes didn't hunt down an unwilling victim and doesn't express any desire to kill again, so he's not a public menace. His behavior ultimately was consensual and private (until the police and media got involved). This "bad guy" might creep the hell out of me and every other person on the planet, but convicting him of being a weirdo doesn't really serve the ends of society.

source

areusad831 · Post by **areusad831** » 12/10/2003, 11:10 pm

man i could go for a hamburger

sandsleeper · Post by **sandsleeper** » 12/10/2003, 11:27 pm

you mean a manburger?

ha.ha.ha.

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ClumsyMonkey.net

German Cannibal on Trial

German Cannibal on Trial