Otto Von Bismark said, “To retain respect for sausages and the law, one must not watch them in the making.”

A recent case in Germany covers both. Armin Meiwes, a 41 year old computer programmer, stood accused of placing an ad on internet sites searching for a partner … a most unusual partner. He sought a healthy male who desired to be killed and eaten. As strange as that is, he found one.

I have a friend who claims that internet matchmaking services never work and that you can’t find anyone who suits your taste. Obviously she isn’t trying hard enough. Our hero met his friend who joined him for dinner and apparently went to his fate willingly enough. They first removed parts of his anatomy and cooked them for dinner which they both enjoyed. Then it was time for the parting … oh such sweet sorrow. Sweet, succulent sorrow.

He killed him and then ate him, storing bits in the freezer for later. Oh, and in case there was any doubt of his guilt, he videotaped the whole thing. Court TV and the Food Channel are undoubtedly fighting for the rights as we speak.

But guilt may be a harsh word here. Cannibalism isn’t a crime in Germany. The murder is a bit tricky, but the victim willingly came to his fate. He wanted to die. Think of it as similar to the American Doctor Kevorkian, er, make that Chef Kevorkian.

One could argue that if someone came to you and wanted to be killed and eaten that they weren’t in their right frame of mind and the ethical thing to do would be get them some kind of help, not start digging out your pots and pans. However, is someone who wants to kill and eat people REALLY in their own right frame of mind? And to what extent does one deranged person needing help really have responsibility towards another deranged person? It’s a clear case of two sick puppies finding each other in the world.

Civil liberties even come into play here. Can society really put boundaries on what two consenting adults decide to do with each other? Well, apparently so. The line has been drawn, at least in Germany. If you kill and eat your friend, however willing, you will be convicted of manslaughter.

You really can find anything on the internet.