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Fun fact: Cannibalism in itself isn't illegal in Germany... Just don't ask


Suddenly this joke from the IT Crowd makes more sense: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOE-q20RcDM


No, that was based on a real cannibal.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armin_Meiwes


France an EU country (just next to germany) where cannilabism happened and then the cannibal was literally walking free in another country for decades until he died naturally.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Issei_Sagawa


But isn't the point that you absolutely must ask, since you can only eat somebody if you have their consent?


Well, apparently all the means of obtaining, they, ugh, ingredients, are more or less illegal and covered by various laws. Voluntary donations so....

Dear me, I shouldn't have brought it up before lunch... I hope there is something vegetarian on the menu today...


> Apparently all the means of obtaining, they, ugh, ingredients, are more or less illegal and covered by various laws.

Amputations are legal and not that rare, so there are some means.. Hhere's a relevant example of a part of a leg begin eaten - https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/8p5xlj/hi_all_i_am_a_...


consent has been defined different ways at different times in Germany.

technically when hansel and gretel checked into their airbnb in the forest, they consented to being shoved into an oven if they spilled breadcrumbs. It was all in the contract.



There is no explicit legal norm, but that doesn't mean it's legal...there is § 168 StGB.


> § 168 StGB.

I don’t know, seems like that leaves some loopholes, you just have to get pre-death approval ;)

> (1) Whoever unauthorizedly takes away from the custody of the entitled person the body or parts of the body of a deceased person, a dead corporeal fruit, parts of such or the ashes of a deceased person, or whoever commits insulting mischief thereon, shall be punished by imprisonment for not more than three years or a fine.

translated from https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/stgb/__168.html


It's extremly unlikely that a judge will accept this approval and as far as I know, it has never happened. The approval could be ruled 'sittenwidrig'. Otherwise the person that approves has to be 'approvable'. There are high barriers to prove that the approval is legaly valid. The most famous case is the 'Kannibale von Rotenburg'. Even though the victim aggreed he was sentenced to life for murder. You may find a theoretical loophole but in reality I don't think you would get away with this.


I think murder is different, and also orthogonal.

I was thinking more of the situation of a person who’ll soon die (but is mentally capable) gives permission to be eaten after their death. Sittenwidrig would be another issue, I agree.


PSA: I am sorry to have started this thread. If it helps, I skipped lunch over it.




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