Cannibal's Light Sentence Ought to be Hard to Swallow

The Chicago Sun-Times ^ | February 3, 2004 | John O'Sullivan

[quidnunc]

"German Cannibal Convicted of Manslaughter" was a shocking headline. What is ultimately the most shocking aspect of a shocking case is that Armin Meiwes was sentenced to a mere 81/2 years for the lesser crime of manslaughter for killing Bernd Brandes, a 48-year-old computer engineer, and eating him sauteed with garlic, black pepper, potatoes, sprouts and a bottle of South African red wine.

Even the most liberal people think cannibalism should rate a verdict of murder and a sentence of life imprisonment. Meiwes is likely to be released in less than five years. He already has been deluged with lucrative publishing offers for his memoirs. And he may well seek other human meals in five years, since he was doing just that at the time of his arrest. Eating people may be wrong — but it is a smart career move.

It must be allowed, however, that the court proceedings and the verdict were in strict legal accord with the social principles that shape and animate modern Western societies. Meiwes's defense lawyers actually sought a verdict of "killing on request" for which the highest sentence is five years. And on the evidence before the court, their plea was not unreasonable.

-snip-

Assisted suicide, euthanasia, cooperative cannibalism — what is going on? As two sardonic social critics, Roger Kimball of the New Criterion and Theodore Dalrymple in the City Journal, have observed, these social innovations have not emerged onto legal ground from nowhere. They can be traced back to the underlying principle of modern liberalism — the so-called "harm principle" laid down by John Stuart Mill in his celebrated "On Liberty" in the following words: "That the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others. His own good, either physical or moral, is not a sufficient warrant."

-snip-

[cripplecreek]

Isnt a secular europe wondefull? The home of cannibals and practitioners of beastiality. Dont think i need to visit europe anytime soon.

Any trips i take outside the USA will be to Canada, Great brittan or Australia.

[semaj]

They forgort to mention the fact that the victim and the cannibal were both demented sodomites.

[Mr. Mojo]

German dude, eh? A few months back I remember reading about a German who wanted to be killed and then eaten, and put out an ad in the local newspaper to find someone who would oblige.

He received hundreds of replies, most of them (seemingly) serious.

[Mr. Mojo]

Ah, thanks.

[Servant of the 9]

"German Cannibal Convicted of Manslaughter" was a shocking headline.

Yes, it was. A year for assisted suicide and 90 days for improperly disposing of a body would be more likely in a rational court, even here.

People who assist suicide in the US are rarely prosecuted and almost never given significant sentences.

So9

[waterstraat]

What is ultimately the most shocking aspect of a shocking case is that Armin Meiwes was sentenced to a mere 81/2 years for the lesser crime of manslaughter for killing Bernd Brandes

It sounds pretty harsh to me, since the average time served in the United States for manslaughter is currently 49 months. I wish the United States put away criminals who commit manslaughter as long as europe does. Europe is tough on violent crime. We are tough on drug crime, but we let violent criminals go free after very light prison terms, throughout the United States.

[waterstraat]

People who assist suicide in the US are rarely prosecuted and almost never given significant sentences

Dr Jack Korvorkian, essentially got a "life sentence" in Michigan for assisting a suicide.

[Servant of the 9]

Dr Jack Korvorkian, essentially got a "life sentence" in Michigan for assisting a suicide.

Kevorkian got life for helping numerous strangers and Bragging about it and daring prosecutors to act.

The person who helps a friend or relative to end it smoothly and keeps his mouth shut is almost never prosecuted.

So9

[mlmr]

What about that unusual man, also German, who fillets people and preserves their bodies in plastics as sculptures. I cannot believe that people are not just executing these monsters.

[mlmr]

Is Kervorkian a homosexual too?

[ladyinred]

Welcome to the lovely world of socialism Euro style. This creature should have been given the guillotine, but I guess who he cooks and eats in the privacy of his own home is his business.

[Servant of the 9]

What about that unusual man, also German, who fillets people and preserves their bodies in plastics as sculptures. I cannot believe that people are not just executing these monsters.

Why?
He can have my bod when I am finished with it. Save my estate the expense.

SO9

[mlmr]

Yuck!

I guess becaue I have the sneaking suspicion that the freak gets his sexual thrills in his art.

[Billthedrill]

There's nothing wrong with Mill's principle. The problem is that you can't base a society's entire body of law around a single principle, however well stated. This sort of distortion is what happens when you try.

I'm just wondering, though, how much sleep his cellmate in prison is going to get...

[Servant of the 9]

Yuck!

I guess becaue I have the sneaking suspicion that the freak gets his sexual thrills in his art.

I think all artists do.

So9

[luvbach1]

I'm sure the effete Euros wrinkled their noses at our Jeffrey Dahmer and assorted other American fiends. But now they've had it all: from serial killers, homicidal MDs, mass shooters, child killers, to cannibals.

[quidnunc]

luvbach1 wrote: I'm sure the effete Euros wrinkled their noses at our Jeffrey Dahmer and assorted other American fiends. But now they've had it all: from serial killers, homicidal MDs, mass shooters, child killers, to cannibals.

Don't forget vampires and satanists.

[The Great RJ]

At least he got some serious jail time. Our Congressman ran a stop sign at better than 70 MPH and killed a motorcyclist and while convicted of manslaughter only got 90 days in jail and after three years will have the felony conviction erased from his record. Go figure.