What do you think?
Rate this book
Rimaru - Butcher of Bucharest
In September 1971 Ion Rimaru stood trial for the murder of several women. The indictment accused him of committing 23 very serious offences over a period of one year from May 1970 to May 1971: murders committed in extremely aggravated circumstances, with cruelty, with premeditation, with bestiality and sadism in four cases; attempted murders in six cases; rapes and attempted rapes; theft from the public and private property. 'Rimaru - Butcher of Bucharest' is a factual account of the crimes committed by Ion Rimaru, their social environment, their impact on the culture of their times, and their lingering legacy in the present day. Popular myth, for instance, enshrines the legend that Rimaru had the qualities of a vampire - a hypnotic attraction for young women - the source of his ability to evade capture. The authors, Mike Phillips and Stejarel Olaru, have had unprecedented access to police and secret police records, including the testimonies of the killer and his family. They also conducted interviews with various protagonists, and researched the surviving mountain of statements. The social context, however, and what it tells us about Romanian society at the time and in the present day makes this a remarkable, uneasy and illuminating story. . . May 1971. After I went for a walk down a boulevard I passed the National Theatre building site and then got into another boulevard and then went into a side street where 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. (Ion Rimaru - statement to the police after arrest)
181 pages, Paperback
First published April 24, 2012
2 people are currently reading
39 people want to read
About the author
Mike Phillips
201 books10 followersLibrarian Note: There are more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Others:
Mike 2^ Phillips : Fantasy, Science Fiction, Young Adult
Mike 3^ Phillips : Literature & Fiction
Mike 4^ Phillips : Children's book illustrator
Mike 5^ Phillips : Programming
Others:
Mike 2^ Phillips : Fantasy, Science Fiction, Young Adult
Mike 3^ Phillips : Literature & Fiction
Mike 4^ Phillips : Children's book illustrator
Mike 5^ Phillips : Programming
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 30, 2022
A unique book about Romania's most famous serial killer Ion Rîmaru. He was active between 1970-1971 when he killed 4 women and raped and attempted to kill many more.
What is the most shocking thing about the story is the fact that he could have been stopped a lot quicker. His crimes were committed at night but there were always witnesses or people that heard something but didn't want to get involved or preferred to mind their own business. Why was this? Because Romania was a communist police-state and the common citizens were very wary of the state or the police (known as the militia). During the 1950s the secret police arrested oppositionists and anyone affiliated with the old regime. People couldn't express their opinions and learned to keep to themselves. They were worried that if they got involved in something they would get in trouble or they would get dragged into it.
During one of the attacks in an apartment complex an injured woman moaned for many hours of the night. Neighbours turned on the light which spooked Rîmaru but no one actually went out to check on the woman and no one called the police. It was only the morning that the woman was found and the police was called. When interviewed the neighbours all excused themselves saying they didn't check because they were late for work or that they thought it was a drunk person.
When Rîmaru started attacking women the state didn't publicise this because it was considered that crime and murder was a Western capitalist disease and should not exist in a Communist society. This meant that the public was not officially informed to take care. The way people found out about the murders was through word of mouth. The police encouraged this because they knew it was the only way to warn the population without upsetting the Communist leadership.
It was only after several murders that the police launched a large scale operation which managed to catch the killer.
There is still some mystery related to the fact that Rîmaru's father was also a suspect and may have been a killer too, a string of murders in Bucharest in 1944-45 may be linked to him. But this was never solved.
This is a unique book both because it deals with a rare subject (true crime in Communism) and also because it is in English. The translation sometimes is a bit rusty but nothing to stop the reader.
What is the most shocking thing about the story is the fact that he could have been stopped a lot quicker. His crimes were committed at night but there were always witnesses or people that heard something but didn't want to get involved or preferred to mind their own business. Why was this? Because Romania was a communist police-state and the common citizens were very wary of the state or the police (known as the militia). During the 1950s the secret police arrested oppositionists and anyone affiliated with the old regime. People couldn't express their opinions and learned to keep to themselves. They were worried that if they got involved in something they would get in trouble or they would get dragged into it.
During one of the attacks in an apartment complex an injured woman moaned for many hours of the night. Neighbours turned on the light which spooked Rîmaru but no one actually went out to check on the woman and no one called the police. It was only the morning that the woman was found and the police was called. When interviewed the neighbours all excused themselves saying they didn't check because they were late for work or that they thought it was a drunk person.
When Rîmaru started attacking women the state didn't publicise this because it was considered that crime and murder was a Western capitalist disease and should not exist in a Communist society. This meant that the public was not officially informed to take care. The way people found out about the murders was through word of mouth. The police encouraged this because they knew it was the only way to warn the population without upsetting the Communist leadership.
It was only after several murders that the police launched a large scale operation which managed to catch the killer.
There is still some mystery related to the fact that Rîmaru's father was also a suspect and may have been a killer too, a string of murders in Bucharest in 1944-45 may be linked to him. But this was never solved.
This is a unique book both because it deals with a rare subject (true crime in Communism) and also because it is in English. The translation sometimes is a bit rusty but nothing to stop the reader.
June 15, 2012
A serial killer in communist Romania! While the extremely poor official information only appeared after Rîmaru was arrested, the rumours exploded, frightening the society to the core.
In 1971 Ion Rîmaru stood trial for the murder of several women. He was accused of committing 23 very serious offences over a period of one year. Four murders, five rapes, six attempted murders. Vampirism, cannibalism, necrophiliac tendencies
After the fall of communism a few investigators tried to decipher “the Rimaru enigma”, but remained only on the surface of things.
This true crime book, written by a Romanian historian and a British author, led to an excellent reconstruction of the case by stripping down the police files from the ‘70s and interviewing some of those who took part in the investigation.
It was a huge effort of research which reconstituted the destiny of a murderer. The book is, at the same time, a fresco of the Romanian society under dictatorship. The social context tells us a lot about Romania at the time and in the present day.
‘Rimaru - Butcher of Bucharest’ is a work of special interest to criminologists and social scientists, the result of a great deal of research in previously inaccessible and secret files. It brings something new to the available narratives of true crime.
In 1971 Ion Rîmaru stood trial for the murder of several women. He was accused of committing 23 very serious offences over a period of one year. Four murders, five rapes, six attempted murders. Vampirism, cannibalism, necrophiliac tendencies
After the fall of communism a few investigators tried to decipher “the Rimaru enigma”, but remained only on the surface of things.
This true crime book, written by a Romanian historian and a British author, led to an excellent reconstruction of the case by stripping down the police files from the ‘70s and interviewing some of those who took part in the investigation.
It was a huge effort of research which reconstituted the destiny of a murderer. The book is, at the same time, a fresco of the Romanian society under dictatorship. The social context tells us a lot about Romania at the time and in the present day.
‘Rimaru - Butcher of Bucharest’ is a work of special interest to criminologists and social scientists, the result of a great deal of research in previously inaccessible and secret files. It brings something new to the available narratives of true crime.
June 13, 2012
I suspect the majority of people would not like to talk about a serial killer- including myself. However, the new book "Rimaru - Butcher of Bucharest", written by British author Mike Phillips and Romanian historian Stejarel Olaru is worth talking about, and I recommend it to anyone interest in a portrait of life (and death) in 1970s Eastern Europe.
Like other Romanians of my age, I knew from hear-say about Rimaru's crimes. But it was only after I read this well researched and objective book that I had a glimpse of the horror of it all. The two authors set the story in the proper historical context, and brought to light not only the full account of the murderer's deeds, but also witness statements and objective analyses. The whole coveys not just a portrait of a disturbed individual, but a vivid image of a society in a particular historical timeframe, living under particular social and political conditions.
"Rimaru - Butcher of Bucharest" makes for a very good read, even if a chilling and rather unsettling one, because the authors have shunned sensationalism in favour of objectivity. In this, I think they acted like the good documentary film-maker: showing, not telling. The analysis of the facts is clear and level-headed, and the excellent editing by Ramona Mitrica ensures a smooth flow.
Like other Romanians of my age, I knew from hear-say about Rimaru's crimes. But it was only after I read this well researched and objective book that I had a glimpse of the horror of it all. The two authors set the story in the proper historical context, and brought to light not only the full account of the murderer's deeds, but also witness statements and objective analyses. The whole coveys not just a portrait of a disturbed individual, but a vivid image of a society in a particular historical timeframe, living under particular social and political conditions.
"Rimaru - Butcher of Bucharest" makes for a very good read, even if a chilling and rather unsettling one, because the authors have shunned sensationalism in favour of objectivity. In this, I think they acted like the good documentary film-maker: showing, not telling. The analysis of the facts is clear and level-headed, and the excellent editing by Ramona Mitrica ensures a smooth flow.
February 25, 2013
This is a chilling tale of the notorious rapist and murderer Ion Rimaru and his year long reign of terror in Bucharest from May 1970 to May 1971 during which time he attacked over 20 women, most of whom he raped and some of them he murdered and as his rampage went on the violence got worse.
Had the Romanian people been less scared to talk to the police and security services he would have been caught much sooner, which is what makes the story so disturbing, that and the nature of his crimes.
Well written and full of grizzly detail, only for those of you with strong stomachs.
Had the Romanian people been less scared to talk to the police and security services he would have been caught much sooner, which is what makes the story so disturbing, that and the nature of his crimes.
Well written and full of grizzly detail, only for those of you with strong stomachs.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews