Not to debate with you, really, but couldn’t the same be said of all suicides? Even those committed by the terminally ill? I like to regard those acts (the suicides of the terminally ill) as the last cogent action of a free mind escaping the drug- and pain-fogged days of illness.**
Again, the same thing could be said about the delusions of grandeur some pyschotics are consumed by. If the person is happy being the King of All Rome and Atlantas, do we have the right to prescribe lithium salts?
I take a pragmatic view: Who else would the person hurt? If nobody else is being harmed, I don’t view it as the state’s perogative to intervene.
Is the cannabal probably sociopathic? Well, most Western cannibals have been (Jeffrey Dahmer, for example). Is he a threat to others who wouldn’t consent? Dunno, but I’d be leery of taking the risk.
Was the victim willing? To all outside appearances he was, but we can never know his mind when the final curtain fell. Was the victim insane? Yes, but insane doesn’t always meet the standard for incapacitated. (For example, Jeffrey Dahmer could probably have entered into a valid contract despite his sociopathy.)
Was this homicide? Well? I don’t think Kevorkian committed homicide, but the State of Oregon found differently. Similarly, I don’t think the cannibal committed homicide in this instance. The German courts may find differently.
On another note; where are the voices of dissent? Surely this must be one of those things that we are supposed to tolerate, right? It being a lifestyle (or lack thereof) choice and all…
My girlfriend and I watched Dee Snider’s Strangeland a couple of weeks ago and wondered aloud after the movie if there were really people that fucked up in the world. This isn’t exactly the answer to that question that I was looking for. . .
There is nothing more cruel nor more depraved than the average human… Then we come to more deviant specimens of our species… Then you have not heard of two more levels below what is being discussed here… Be glad you are so protected…
Does anyone here know the name of that seriously fucked up cartoonist that draws pictures of hyperdeveloped women doing things like happily submitting to being barbecued on a spit and eaten, and even portrays them orgasming as they die? Someone here pointed out to me, and I was absolutely sure that this was one fetish that no one would ever be able to have played out.
Shit, I happened upon a few of these when innocently searching for porn on Kazaa. They were rather… disturbing.
At least I hope they were what you’re talking about, since otherwise, there would be two artists drawing this stuff with it being relatively easily findable…
Doing another search would imply the guy’s name is Dolcett. I wouldn’t want to meet him.
I completely disagree with you. This guy should be charged with premeditated murder and removed from society. Permanently.
There’s a difference between assisting someone in suicide because they are suffering from a terminal illness and are in great physical pain and murdering someone for your own sexual gratification.
Pundit, I don’t think homicide flies if the victim was willing. Though Kevorkian probably had `issues’ of his own to work out, he only killed those who asked him to kill them. He didn’t go out to find victims, nor did he apparently need to. I think, and I hope, the cannibal is like that.
If you want to make the case the cannibal’s a time bomb, I’d probably be receptive. But killing someone isn’t automatically homicide.
Unless the court decides the victim was mentally unable to give informed consent, it is “Homicide upon Request” (Section 216).
Punishment: 6 month to 5 years.
(IANAL, just looked it up, but it seems quite clear-cut to me)
Link: German Criminal Code: Chapter Sixteen, Crimes Against Life
This story has been the most disturbing news I’ve ever heard. I’m really surprised about the little coverage it got in the US.
I ran across that stuff before, and was thoroughly disturbed by it. But, I kept looking at it. Morbid curiosity I suppose.
I used to be worried about myself that I’d be drawn to look at that stuff, plus gore pics on websites like rotten dot com. Now all I have to do is think about my colleague, and I realize I’m right as rain compared to him.
When I read the subject to this thread I hoped it was a joke or meant something entirely different. It’s REALLY disturbing to see that no, that is exactly what it’s about.
I was only takling about Desire and the Black Masseur to micilin the other night. There’s a French movie that’s based on it aswell. *Noir et blanc * IIRC
