Between May 1970 and 1971 a series of brutal murders and rapes of young women left Bucharest shocked. Romania's own version of Jack the Ripper went on a spree of torture, rape and murder, but unlike the Ripper of 19th Century London, he was eventually caught and tried in September 1971. A new book explores the story Ion Rimaru, known as the Butcher of Bucharest, drawing on previously unreleased police evidence, including Rimaru's testimonies, and interviews with families of both victims and the Butcher.

The new book 'Rimaru – Butcher of Bucharest' by Mike Phillips and Stejarel Olaru traces the fascinating, albeit macabre subject, looking at the social impact of the crimes and how the story has passed into local folklore; Rimaru has been compared to a vampire, who used his ultimately fatal charm to lure young women into his clutches. “May 1971. I approached a woman and I attacked her with a metal rod and a knife. I hit her with the metal rod with spiral grooves. I hit her some three times. Because she was screaming I slashed her neck with the knife that is presented to me here in the court. The victim collapsed in the street and then I dragged her into a courtyard and had sexual relations with her,” said Rimaru during his trial.

Published in English, the book has won widespread critical acclaim and as well as charting Rimaru's horrifying crimes, provides an insight into Romanian culture under communism at the time. 'Rimaru – Butcher of Bucharest' by Mike Phillips and Stejarel Olaru is published by Profusion Books and is edited by Ramona Mitrica. It is available in paperback priced GBP 7.99 from Profusion.org.uk, and a GBP 6.39 from Amazon.co.uk, and Waterstones.com, as well as a Kindle e-book for GBP 3.08.

Liam Lever, liam@romania-insider.com

picture source: Profusion Books