What is issei sagawa?

Issei Sagawa was a Japanese man who gained international notoriety for the 1981 cannibalistic murder of Renée Hartevelt in Paris. He shot her, then proceeded to dismember and consume parts of her body over several days.

• The Crime: In 1981, while studying literature at the Sorbonne in Paris, Sagawa invited Renée Hartevelt, a Dutch fellow student, to his apartment for dinner. He shot her in the back of the neck and then engaged in acts of cannibalism.

• Mental State: Sagawa was deemed legally insane by French psychiatrists, who diagnosed him with schizophrenia. This diagnosis significantly impacted his legal proceedings.

• Legal Proceedings: Due to his insanity diagnosis, Sagawa was deemed unfit to stand trial in France. He was confined to a psychiatric institution.

• Repatriation to Japan: He was eventually repatriated to Japan in 1984.

• Release from Confinement: Upon arrival in Japan, Japanese authorities also determined Sagawa was mentally sound and able to be held accountable for his crimes, however because the French authorities formally dropped all charges before his repatriation, he never faced trial in Japan.

• Life After Release: Sagawa lived as a free man in Japan for the rest of his life. Due to the absence of a trial, he was never formally imprisoned for his crime.

• Infamy and Media Attention: Sagawa embraced his infamy, writing books and giving interviews about the murder. He became a somewhat notorious figure in Japan, sometimes referred to in media and popular culture. Some of his books deal directly with the crime, while others explore his perspectives on society.