Cannibal on trial
The week's news at a glance.
Kassel, Germany
A German man on trial for murder says he is innocent because his victim volunteered to be killed and eaten. Armin Miewes, 41, advertised on the Internet for a volunteer to help him fulfill his cannibalistic fantasy. From among hundreds of responses from people longing to be consumed, he selected Bernd-Jürgen Brandes, 43, as his meal. At Brandes’ request, the two men first cut off Brandes’ penis, cooked it, and ate it together. Then Miewes stabbed Brandes to death and cooked and ate the rest of him. The defense is expected to introduce as evidence the videotape of the event, which reportedly shows Brandes as a willing participant. “I hope you’ll find me tasty,” he says.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Burkina Faso's misinformation war
Under The Radar The president of the West African country has quickly become the face of a viral, AI-powered propaganda campaign
-
Jeffrey Epstein's secrets
Feature Six years after his death, conspiracy theories still swirl around the sex trafficker. Why?
-
Voting: Trump's ominous war on mail ballots
Feature Donald Trump wants to sign an executive order banning mail-in ballots for the 2026 midterms