This is a gruesome article on cases of cannibalism from various parts of the world. Some of the information contained here may shock you. After reading these cases, you may be in disbelief. Today you will meet some people who shouldn’t even be called “human beings.” Instead, they should be called “zombies” who will devour the flesh and internal organs of the dead.

Warning: The following material may be too disturbing for some viewers.

What Is Cannibalism?

Dictionary.com has the definition of cannibalism as the eating of human flesh by another human being. When a person practices cannibalism (regardless of the reason), they are called a cannibal.

Is It A Medical Condition?

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) does not list cannibalism as a mental disorder. However, when cannibalism is practiced for reasons other than for survival (such as in times of famine) or ritual purposes, it is often the result of some form of a severe mental illness (such as a case with an individual who suffers from paranoid schizophrenia).

Why Do Some Humans Eat The Flesh And Internal Organs Of Other Humans?

Below are several reasons why people throughout history have practiced cannibalism.

Ritual purposes

Surival during times of famine

Sexual pleasure (after committing a murder)

Severe Mental Illnessess

Cannibalism & Early Hominids 

Interestingly, both archaeological and genetic evidence suggests that the practice of cannibalism has occurred for tens of thousands of years. Perhaps it has occurred for hundreds of thousands of years. The oldest Homo sapiens bones from Ethiopia show signs of defleshing.

According to American paleoanthropologist Tim White, due to a large amount of “butchered human bones” that were found in Neanderthal and other Lower/Middle Paleolithic sites, ritual cannibalism was actually common in human societies before the start of the Upper Paleolithic period.

An article on Wikipedia says that cannibalism that was practiced in the Lower and Middle Paleolithic may have occurred because of food shortages. Some experts believe that the practice of ritual cannibalism may have also taken place for the purpose of predator control.

More Evidence Of Cannibalism In Ancient Humans

According to a fascinating report by a team of researchers from the University of Tübingen in Germany, Neanderthals practiced cannibalism over 40 thousand years ago. There were 99 bones that were found in a cave in Goyet, Belgium, showed markings (such as pits and notches) consistent with butchering. What makes cannibalism even more evident is that the team of German scientists also found signs of skinning, cutting up, and extraction of the bone marrow.

Cannibals From Around The Globe — For Various Reasons

Russia

Above is a portrait of a couple who lived through the Russian famine back in 1921. In desperate need of food, they had no other choice than to eat the flesh of other human beings. If you look to the right of the victim with a decapitated head, you will see what appears to be a young child.

Germany

Joachim Georg Kroll (17 April 1933 –1 July 1991) was a German serial killer who terrorized many from the mid-1950s, to the late 1970s. Although he was convicted of 8 murders, he confessed to a total of 14. Kroll was not only a serial killer, but also a child molester and a mutilator. Due to him also being a cannibal, he is known as the Duisburg Man-Eater (Duisburger Menschenfresser).

 England

Rick Gibson (born 1951) is a sculptor, artist, and cannibal. Although Gibson is from Canada, most of his known acts of cannibalism took place in England. Below is information on each act.

Act #1 Walthamstow High Street, London, on July 23, 1988: Gibson ate a canapé of donated human tonsils in public.

Act #2  Lewisham High Street, London, on July 14, 1989: Once again, in public, Gibson ate a slice of human testicle.

You may now be wondering how anyone can actually get away with eating body parts of another human being without facing serious charges, much less no charges. Due to there not being a specific law against the act of cannibalism in England, Gibson did not face charges.

Act #3 The Pitt International Galleries in Vancouver, on July 14, 1989: Gibson attempted to eat another slice of a human testicle. However, unlike in London, Vancouver police confiscated the testicle. Although Gibson was charged for the testicle hors d’œuvre, the charges were dropped.

Act #4  September 22, 1989: Gibson finally got to eat the piece of the human testicle that was confiscated. However, this time it was on the steps of the Vancouver court house.

New Guinea

A tribe called the Korowai (also known as the Kolufo) of south-eastern Papua New Guinea may be one of the last surviving tribes in the world still practicing cannibalism. According to Wikipedia, it was reported that a local cannibal cult had killed and ate victims as late as 2012.

Japan

In 2012, asexual Japanese man Mao Sugiyama had his genitals surgically removed. However, instead of leaving them at the hospital, he kept them. No. It wasn’t so he could put them in his cabinet of curiosities, it was so he can have them seasoned and cooked. Sugiyama wanted to have a dinner party where he could serve his guests an odd meal. That is, his severed genitalia.

The dinner took place in Tokyo, Japan. For those who were eager to eat Sugiyama  genitals, the guests were charged just over $200 per person. Wisely, after his guests ate their rather bizarre meal, he had them sign a waiver to ensure he was not responsible, in case any of them were to become ill. Well, at least the Sugiyama’s genitals were garnished with mushrooms and parsley.

Although a total of 70 people attended the dinner party, only 5 got a taste of Sugiyama’s genitalia. Luckily for Sugiyama, although the police were contacted, he faced no charges. The police said he didn’t get charged simply because nothing he did was against the law.

What Did The Guest Say About The Actual Taste Of The Genitals?

Guests at the party say Sugiyama’s genitalia was quite rubbery, and didn’t have much taste to it.

Sugiyama’s penis, scrotum, and testicle served for $250.

For several graphic pictures of Sugiyama’s cooked and uncooked genitalia, visit The Huffington Post.

North Korea

North Korea is certainly no stranger to cannibalism. During the famine of the 1990s, there were reports of widespread cannibalism. In 1996, leader Kim Jong-il decided it was time he ordered a crackdown on the practice. According to reports in 2006, 3 people were executed for selling or eating human flesh. In 2013, a man was arrested and executed for killing his son and daughter for food. Sadly, there have even been recent claims of human flesh being sold as pork.

India 

Above is a screenshot of the strange and mysterious Indian tribe of Aghori monks. These people actually meditate on top of dead human bodies in search of spiritual enlightenment. Not only that. As part of their rituals, the tribe also eats human flesh and even faeces. The tribe members also drink from human skulls and will chew the heads of animals that are alive.

The Aghori monks were banned from their native land and today live in cemeteries. Understandably, the Indians fear them. These people not only do crazy things, they also make crazy claims. They claim they can predict the future, do evil prophecies, and even walk on water.

This unusual tribe gets their human flesh from bodies that are disposed in the cemetery without cremation. Strangely, these monks not only eat human flesh, they also collect it. For spiritual enlightenment, they will even wear corpses, and also build alters from them.

For many incredible images of the Aghori monks of Varanasi, visit DailyMail.

America

We’ve all heard of famous American serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, and also crazy Miami cannibal Rudy Eugene who chewed off a homeless man’s face in May of 2012. These are just two of many cases of cannibalism in America.

The more recent cannibal story comes from Florida student Austin Harrouff. He was charged with murdering Michelle Mishcon, 53, and her husband John Stevens, 59. This was a senseless random attack that took multiple officers (including a taser) and police dogs to put to an end. As the couple was watching television in their open garage, they were stabbed to death. Harrouff attempted to eat Steven’s face and abdomen area. Even though he was already dead, virtually nothing could stop Harrouff from continuing to bite off his face. When police finally took control of the situation, they found remnants of human tissue in his mouth.

Police still do not know why the young college student decided to take the lives of two innocent people. They originally assumed he was likely under the influence of Flakka, which is a drug similar to bath salts. Interestingly, it is bath salts that police thought Rudy Eugene was on when he bit off the homeless man’s face. However, after various tests, he was only under the influence of marijuana.

Was Harrouff Under The Influence Of Any Drugs?

Based on initial toxicology reports, Harrouff was not under the influence of cocaine, methamphetamines, marijuana or opiates at the time of the attacks. However, there are more tests being conducted to determine whether he was on Flakka. An acquaintance of Harrouff said it may have been steroids that played a role the attack. The steroids may be the explanation to what gave him incredibly powerful strength that virtually no one could stop.

More Cannibals

Whether eating human flesh and organs is done for ritual purposes, survival, a reason possibly caused by a severe mental disorder, or sexual satisfaction, the cannibal is certainly not alone. These acts have been practiced for thousands of years, and are likely not going to stop anytime soon. The practice of cannibalism will probably go on for tens of thousands of years to come.