Issei Sagawa (佐川一政, Sagawa Issei^?) is a Japanese cannibal who is known for the murder of Renée Hartevelt. Cannibalism is the act or practice of eating members of the same species, e. ...

Before the murder

According to CrimeLibrary.com the book Cannibal Killers by Moira Martingale explains that Issei Sagawa was a brilliant student, obsessed with tall Western women and that while studying for an English literature degree at the University of Paris, he became attracted to a German woman teacher. He once said to British reporter Peter McGill that he wondered if he could eat her. The term English literature refers to literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; Joseph Conrad was Polish, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, Salman Rushdie is Indian, V.S... The Sorbonne, Paris, in a 17th century engraving The historic University of Paris (French: ) first appeared in the second half of the 12th century, but was in 1970 reorganised as 13 autonomous universities (University of Paris I–XIII). ...

According to CrimeLibrary.com, at one time he entered her house while she was sleeping, but she woke up and her screaming frightened him enough that he left.

The murder

Issei Sagawa served time in a French jail for the murder of the Dutch Renée Hartevelt, a classmate at the Sorbonne Academy in Paris. In 1981, Sagawa was studying avant garde literature. He invited her to dinner under the pretense of literary conversation. Upon her arrival, he shot her in the neck, then began to carry out his plan of eating her. She was selected because of her health and beauty, those characteristics Sagawa believed he lacked. In interviews, Sagawa describes himself as a "weak, ugly and small man" and claims that he wanted to "absorb her energy." The Sorbonne, Paris, in a 17th century engraving The Sorbonne today, from the same point of view The Sorbonne is frequently used in ordinary parlance as synonymous with the faculty of theology of Paris or the University of Paris in its entirety. ... City flag City coat of arms Motto: Fluctuat nec mergitur (Latin: Tossed by the waves, she does not sink) Paris Eiffel tower as seen from the esplanade du Trocadéro. ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Loves of Zero 35 mm film by Robert Florey 1927 Avant-garde in French means front guard, advance guard, or vanguard. ... An amount of formality may be present at a dinner In many parts of the world, dinner is the main repast of a day, normally cooked food consisting of animal proteins and starch products like rice, noodles or potatoes. ... Many see natural beauty in the rose. ...

He said he fainted after the shock of shooting her, but awoke with the realization that he must carry out his desire to eat her. He did so, beginning with her hips. In interviews, he noted his surprise at the "corn-colored" nature of human fat. For two days, Sagawa ate various parts of her body. He described the meat as "soft" and "odorless", like tuna. After two days, he dumped the mutilated body in a park, but was seen in the act. Five days later, he was arrested by the French police. However, the French psychologists found him legally insane and unfit to stand trial. Instead, he was deported back to Japan, where he was put in a mental institution. However, the deportation order did not specify how long Sagawa must remain in the institution. 15 months later, Sagawa checked himself out, and has been a free man ever since. Bones of the Hip In anatomy, the hip is the bony projection of the femur, known as the greater trochanter, and the overlying muscle and fat. ... For other uses, see Fat (disambiguation). ... With regard to living things, a body is the integral physical material of an individual, and contrasts with soul, personality and behavior. ... Species See text. ... An Australian park A park is any of a number of geographic features. ... A psychologist is a scientist and/or clinician who studies psychology, the systematic investigation of the human mind, including behavior and cognition. ... In a criminal trial, the insanity defenses are possible defenses by excuse, via which defendants may argue that they should not be held criminally liable for breaking the law, as they were mentally ill at the time of their allegedly criminal actions. ... A psychiatric hospital (also called a mental hospital or asylum) is a hospital specializing in the treatment of persons with mental illness. ...

Free in Japan

Sagawa now lives in Tokyo and is a minor celebrity in Japan. He is often invited as a guest speaker and commentator. He also writes restaurant reviews and in 1992 he appeared in Hisayasu Sato's film Sisenjiyou no Aria (The Bedroom) as a sadosexual voyeur. He admits to still having fantasies about cannibalism, but says he never wants to realize them again. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Besides books about the murder he committed, Sagawa wrote a commentary book "Shonen A" in 1997 on the Kobe Children's Serial Murder of 1997, when a 14-year-old called "Youth A" ("Shonen A") killed and decapitated a child. 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Kobe ) is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture and a prominent port city in Japan with a population of about 1. ... Serial killers are individuals who have a history of multiple slayings of victims who were usually unknown to them beforehand. ... Left: the site of the May 1997 Sakakibara murder. ... Shōnen. ... Beheading. ...

His story inspired the 1981 Stranglers song "La Folie" and the 1983 Rolling Stones song "Too Much Blood". The Stranglers are a British rock music group, formed in 1973 in Guildford. ... This article is about the rock band. ...

External links

• Crime Library The Cannibal Celebrity: Issei Sagawa By Katherine Ramsland