In January 2003, police arrested a youth from Palu, Central Sulawesi, on charges of cannibalism. Sumanto (also known as Yunus), 28, told police that he was required to prey upon 15 corpses to complete his study of black magic. However, last week Sumanto escaped from the Mamboro mental asylum in Palu. "He escaped through the ceiling of his room," said the mental asylum's administration chief, S.T. Raharjo.

Asylum doctors had declared Sumanto s