For Sumanto, the confessed cannibal of Central Java, the origins of his inhuman hobby might be traced back to abusive treatment when he was a child.

Nurya Dikarta, Sumanto's father, admits that his fourth son's childhood was not a pleasant one. Dikarta was never involved in Sumanto's education. "I still don't give a damn about him," he said of the 31-year-old resident of Purbbalingga, Central Java, who has admitted killing and eating the flesh