A Beggar Named Swiatek

Mary Kate McCoy/WPR

Swiatek is a self-confessed cannibal who likes to victimize children. His behavior can be compared to that of a berserkir, a trait attributed to lycanthropy. He lived his whole life in Polomyja; villagers were usually farmers or woodcutters, a not-so-fortunate town. He has a family; he provides for their day-to-day needs by asking for some alms from the villagers. From time to time, he will sell ornaments and beads. However, the villagers are not fond of the fact that Swiatek only relies on the villagers for his family to survive.

 

The Crimes of Swiatek

 

It was 1840 when random kids started to disappear mysteriously. One day, Swiatek was invited by a family to have a meal. This particular family has many children. He gave one of the girls a ring and told her that there were a dozen rings and could only be found using a magical incantation. The girl, together with the other kids, rushed outside in search of the rings. Moments after, the man left the house, and the girl was never again found. Soon after, the incident was followed by the disappearance of a young boy. He was supposed to be playing with his friends; a servant also went missing after she was requested to fulfill an errand, and a boy who went to the fountain to fetch some water.

 

Attack of Wolves?

 

The people blamed the attack of the wolves on these incidents. The town's folks started to mount a hunt against the suspected creature. During May in the year 1849, some ducks of the innkeeper went missing. He immediately suspected Swiatek. When he was outside the beggar's house, he smelled the aroma of a roasted meat and was confident that it was his missing duck. He opened the door and landed on a fight against him. As they had a brawl, one of the closets accidentally opened, and a girl's head came rolling down.

 

The Arrest

 

The whole family was arrested, and the police started to search for evidence inside the house of Swiatek. They managed to find limbs and some remains of a girl. It looks like the family was slowly consuming her part. Her legs have some roasted portion, while his liver and heart were perfectly preserved.

 

 

During the interrogation process, Swiatek acted like an insane man and started to eat the dirt in the ground hoping that it would choke him to death. They were able to pacify him, and he began to confess about killing and consuming six people. However, there are 14 children's belonging found in his house, his children (a daughter and a son) also confessed that their father killed more than six people.

 

Swiatek's insatiable appetite for human flesh started when a hut near them was incinerated, and he found a roasted corpse inside. He began to devour the whole remains, and he seemed to like it. From there on, his killing instinct and hunger for human flesh started to develop, eventually increasing his weight. Swiatek was unable to reach the trial since he hanged himself in his prison cell.