CANNIBALISM AND ITS LINKAGE WITH CRIMINOLOGY

ABSTRACT

This article focuses on cannibalism as a crime noticed rarely in today’s scenario in India as
well as globally where many instances of such cruel crimes have occurred. There has been
a great study on cannibalism where many theorists are of the notions that such sort of
crime has a deep relation with the psychological realm relating the psychopathological
context, the positivist realm, impulsiveness and lack of remorse and it affects the
therapeutic behaviour and how the culprit is being perceived in society. It is also being
noted in the sphere of many tribals today where the theory of cultural relativism causes a
particular culture to follow a certain practice i.e. being specific Cannibalism has been said
to test the bounds of cultural relativism because it challenges anthropologists "to define
what is or is not beyond the pale of acceptable human behaviour".i Cannibalism has
occasionally been practiced as a last resort by people suffering from famine, even in
modern times. In our contemporary scenario, the topic of sexual cannibalism has come to
an existence where cannibalism to the pursuit of sexual desire has been on roll.

Keywords: Psychopathological, Positivist Criminology, Cultural Relativism,

Schizophrenia, Anthropology, Psychosis, Sadomasochism, etc.

INTRODUCTION

Cannibalism is termed as the practice the act of eating human flesh or the flesh of one's
kind and is savage and inhuman cruelty. The word "cannibalism" is derived
from Canibales, the Spanish name for the Caribs,ii a West Indies tribe that may have
practiced cannibalism,iii from Spanish canibal or caribal, "a savage". It formed a practice in
earlier times which was followed by many people,iv in countries like Prehistoric Europe,
South America, New Guinea and Fiji. In ancient times, cannibalism was deemed
acceptable for reasons of survival when faced with the extreme need or for religious or
magic reasons.

CONTEMPORARY SCENARIO
In today's society, these cases are extremely rare and are generally associated with severe
mental illness. In India, the instances of such cruel crime of cannibalism have been noted
in many areas especially metro cities as seen in the case of Nithari crimes, the house of
horrors murder case where the culprits admitted eating some of the victims and Surendra
Koli who has been accused of several murders and of consuming his victims. v Also, there
are tribals groups in India too who follow thus the harsh cruel and traditional practice of
cannibalism which includes the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Sentinalese who form a
part of cultural relativism The Aghoris are Indian ascetics,vi who believe that eating human
flesh confers spiritual and physical benefits, such as prevention of aging which is
superstitious They claim to only eat those who have voluntarily willed their body to the
sect upon their death,vii although an Indian TV crew witnessed one Aghori feasting on a
corpse discovered floating in the Ganges, and a member of the Dom caste reports that
Aghoris often take bodies from the cremation ghats (or funeral pyre).

ANALYSIS LINKING WITH THEORY

It is well being noted that cannibalism is considered as anti-social and highly impulsive
and abnormal behaviour. In today's society, these cases are extremely rare and are
generally associated with severe mental illness. We present a case of cannibalism in an
individual with schizophrenia. The patient who lacked insight into his illness admitted to
committing acts of cannibalism and offered in-depth explanations of the procedures used
to prepare the bodies. He made statements on television and to the press and was given the
nickname of "the people-eater", an identity he readily accepted and integrated into his
system of delusions. Cases of this nature are exceedingly unusual, but the fact that people
with schizophrenia commit uncommon, unpredictable crimes attracts the media. This
circumstance not only interferes with the natural course of the disease but also affects the
therapeutic behaviour and how the patient is perceived by society.viii

This illustrated the effective theories of crimes coming under criminology or under the
psychological school of criminology where the concepts of criminology are meant to
effectively deal with the mental set up of an individual committing such a crime where the
ID AND EGO aspects need to be dealt with as ID means the pleasure noted by the
pleasure principle and the reality principle. Psychodynamic theory suggests that criminal
offenders are frustrated and aggravated. They are constantly drawn to past events that
 occurred in their early childhood. Because of a negligent, unhappy, or miserable
childhood, which is most often characterized by a lack of love and/or nurturing, a criminal
offender has a weak (or absent) ego and this point also substantiates that aggression
cannibalism has been associated with mental illness.ix And while analysing this one of the
reasons of cannibalism is purported to be psychopathological where these traits are to be
observed in the childhood itself as an abnormal trait where it is also being noted there are
consistent individual differences which is an underlying construct such as a criminal
potential such as criminal potential or anti-social personality and a degree of deviant
behaviour also impulsiveness lack of remorse played an important role to purport towards
cannibalism where the notion of behaviourism attached to psychological imbalances came
to light i.e. if the mental setup of a culprit has resorted to hedonistic pleasure and if certain
behavioural traits lead to impulsive attitude and lack of remorse this could very well lead
to revenge in the form of cannibalism.

It is also being considered by many criminologists and theorists as many as linked to

schizophrenia whose direct linkages with criminology and psychology has been purported
as Although the precise cause of schizophrenia isn't known, certain factors seem to
increase the risk of developing or triggering schizophrenia, including:

 Having a family history of schizophrenia

 Some pregnancy and birth complications, such as malnutrition or exposure to toxins or

viruses that may impact brain development

 Taking mind-altering (psychoactive or psychotropic) drugs during teen years and young
adulthood.

And such assumptions relate the realm of cognitive behaviour into the picture where how
criminal offenders perceive and mentally represent the world around them where under
this it is important to note how the individuals perceive morally the things around them
and how the information processing of the reality is perceived in their minds. Most
important to his theory is the notion that there are levels, stages, and social orientation and
also the three levels are Level I, preconventional; Level II, conventional; and Level III,
post-conventional and wherein this involves the importance of information processing
which the mental setup of cannibalists has been analysed as they are not able to perceive
the information of the reality.x

Also as the report above mentions that the markings of a delinquent or a cannibalist is
taken as a part of labelling theory,xi and as it is considered by many due to schizophrenia
he takes that labelling as delusions it creates delusions for the mental setup of that
individual you think that you're being harmed or harassed; certain gestures or comments
are directed at you; you have exceptional ability or fame; another person is in love with
you; or a major catastrophe is about to occur. Delusions occur in most people with
schizophrenia and which is considered as an essential point behind cannibalism wherein a
report it is specific that a cannibalist takes the labelling against as many of the delusions
and also the purported which lead to juvenile delinquency could one of the leading points
towards the attitude of impulsiveness, revenge and such a hedonistic pleasure to lead
towards cannibalism.

Also, it is brought to light that interaction and association with Aghoris in the context of
India and also with Wendigo in the International sphere has shedded light on the
Differential association theory being highlighted with the interactional and the
associational perspective,xii being one of the reasons for an individual to turn into a
cannibalist. Also, it is important to note that in the case of utter starvation were taking the
case of José Salvador Alvarenga who is accused of eating his travel companion to survive
being lost at sea,xiii also another case to be noted that after a plane crash in the Andes in
1972, passengers ate the frozen remains of those who had perished, surviving 72 days
before they were rescued. In 2000, three migrants from the Dominican Republic survived
for three weeks when their boat engine failed at sea, only by  devouring some of the 60
others who succumbed to dehydration and exposure where it is brought into light that such
lack of conditions put an extensive strain on an individual which causes an individual to
purport towards such a cruel state of activity and this brings Robert anomie theory to link
with it.

It is also being noted by Cesare Lombroso, the Italian physician known as the “father of
modern criminology” who concluded about the positivist criminology and it could be
analysed that while talking about the nature of the attitude towards cannibalism there
could be biological factors relating to the crime where as noted by Lombroso the notion of
atavists and criminoids could be linked with the cannibalists where their mental set up to
commit crimes like consuming others as their means of survival and where certain
hereditary traits lead to such an abnormality.

Also under this, the concept of sexual cannibalism comes to light where it is being stated
as a psychosexual disorder and involves individuals’ sexualizing the consumption of
another human being’s flesh. Most criminologists and psychologists claim such people are
sociopaths (characterized by impulsivity, selfishness, and lack of remorse) where the
motivational driving force underlying sexual cannibalism in some ways appears to
resemble that of sadomasochism from a dominance and submission perspective. xiv
Devouring someone could be viewed as the ultimate act of dominance by a predator, and
the ultimate act of submission by the prey and thus causes hedonistic principle to come to
light where the pleasure and pain principle came to light i.e. the psychodynamic theory of
offending given by Lee Robbins has been noted relating to this sphere.

CONCLUSION

The relation relating to the criminological theories with cannibalism has been deeply
analysed and the main important point in this analysis is Psychopathology which refers to
either the study of mental illness or mental distress or to the manifestation of behaviours
and experiences which may be indicative of mental illness or psychological impairment
and also the theory given by Bowly as the affectionless psychopath where in certain cases
there is an inability to feel remorse and is closely linked to the problem of cannibalism
where also different theories have been linked with such a cruel crime and in today’s
scenario, this problem has been observed in the form of sexual cannibalism and noted the
hedonistic pleasure arising out of such a crime. Thus to be concluded this problem is a
culture-bound syndrome that is psychopathological and should be dealt with effective
psychiatrist programs as possible.
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