Cannibalism, from Caníbalis in Spanish, is when a human eats the flesh of another human. It´s something that was used all over the world until the 19th century. Nowadays, one of the few places where it is still practiced is the Korowai Tribe, in the western part of Papua New Guinea. However, cannibalism also happens in other countries, like Brazil. Here is a report about cannibalism in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul:
Brazil Cannibalism: man gets 16 years for killing and eating foe's heart
Brazilian carpenter Gilmar Alberto Wasckman, 46, was convicted on July 31st, by
a popular jury to 16 years in prison for murder and cannibalism. He is said to have killed a man and then having eaten pieces of his organs and drunk his blood.
The crime occurred on November 23, 2007, in Mundo Novo, a town in the Brazilian midwestern state of Mato Grosso do Sul. Mundo Novo is 460 kilometers (286 miles) from Campo Grande, the state's capital.
The criminal was sentenced to 15 years of jail for the murder and to an extra one year and three months for having eaten the organs. Wasckman will be allowed to serve his time in a half open regime, having to report to prison only at night, to sleep, after 6 years and 4 months of jail time.
The murderer will be transferred from Mundo Novo to Dourados next week to start serving his sentence.
Wasckman's crime was the result of a fight between him and 53-year-old Aparecido Antônio da Silva. The killer, who used a knife to commit his crime, was helped by a 16-year old youngster. The victim, who used to have frequent sex with the boy, was furious when he found out that the carpenter was also sharing the affections of the young man.
Both men ended up fighting and stabbing each other. Wasckman was able to kill his aggressor with the help of the teenager.
After the murder the two assassins cut the man's testicles out and opened him up to extract his liver and heart. They followed this action by eating pieces of the man's heart and liver. According to the teen, his partner in the crime also drank some of the victim's blood.
It was the young man who went to the police to tell them what had happened. The police found the body as described by the teen.
As for Wasckman he claimed that he had done what he did because he was under the influence of alcohol and drugs.
By Milton França/2009
With report by www.brazzil.com
