The Armin Meiwes Cannibalism Case: Law, Consent & Ethics

Introduction

One of the fundamental taboos that has characterized the human condition since time immemorial is eating human flesh. Although some primitive societies have engaged in the practice — and some purportedly still do — the proscription against cannibalism is so ubiquitous and powerful that national governments have not felt compelled to enact legislation outlawing it, because existing laws concerning murder and the longstanding natural prohibitions against eating other people are regarded as sufficient. Indeed, even in extreme cases such as the stranded Donner Party, where survival was at stake, cannibalism is universally regarded as morally and legally wrong.

It was against this backdrop that the gruesome circumstances involving Armin Meiwes came to international attention. Meiwes, a middle-aged German man, was convicted by German courts of recruiting a consensual volunteer on a fetish website for the express purpose of butchering and eating him. To gain some insight into this event, this paper examines the facts of the case to determine why and how it happened and what occurred in its aftermath.

Facts of the Case

The facts of this case are not in dispute. The legal record shows that Armin Meiwes was a quiet, otherwise pleasant 42-year-old German man from Rotenburg, described by local residents who knew him casually as "the perfect neighbor." In 2001, he located an individual — a 43-year-old engineer living in Berlin named Bernd Brandes — who expressed his willingness to be killed by Meiwes during their initial face-to-face meeting (Harding, 2003). While this mutually agreed-upon arrangement seems truly bizarre on its face, the grisly story does not end there. As part of their mutual agreement, Brandes also consented to be butchered and eaten by Meiwes, which the latter proceeded to do, freezing part of the body for later consumption (Harding, 2003).

The Crime and Its Circumstances

While these details are sufficiently abhorrent to shock even jaded observers, the actual events that transpired following the recruitment of a willing subject were even more disturbing. In March 2001, Meiwes advertised on the internet for a "young well-built man, who wanted to be eaten." Brandes replied (Harding, 2003, para. 4). The two men met and agreed on a date, then convened at Meiwes's wood-framed farmhouse on the evening of March 9 to carry out the arrangement.

After his victim took 20 sleeping pills washed down with a quantity of schnapps, Meiwes, with his victim's consent, amputated Brandes's penis, which he then fried and they both ate (Harding, 2003). By that point, Brandes was bleeding profusely and proceeded to soak in a bathtub while Meiwes casually read a Star Trek novel (Harding, 2003). When Brandes had finally lost consciousness the following morning, Meiwes completed his part of the arrangement by kissing him and then stabbing him in the neck with a butcher knife (Harding, 2003). After burying his victim's skull in his garden and cutting up the body into smaller pieces to freeze for later consumption, Meiwes proceeded to do exactly that — frying various portions in garlic and olive oil, ultimately consuming approximately 44 pounds of human flesh before German authorities apprehended him (Harding, 2003).

Conclusion

The research was consistent in describing the circumstances surrounding the cannibalism case involving Armin Meiwes as bizarre, gruesome, grisly, unbelievable, and inexplicable — because they were. Even the survivors of the Donner Party were stigmatized for the rest of their lives for eating their fellow travelers in order to survive. It is little wonder, then, that the Meiwes case attracted such international notoriety. It may only be a matter of time before lawmakers feel compelled to enact legislation specifically prohibiting cannibalism in order to prevent others from following the disturbing example set by Meiwes.

References

Cannibalism overview. (2018). Cornell Legal Information Institute. Retrieved from

Harding, L. (2003, December 3). Victim of cannibal agreed to be eaten. The Guardian. Retrieved from

Sheinman, H. (2011). Promises and agreements: Philosophical essays. New York: Oxford University Press.