Jeffrey Epstein Case Study: Pathological Cannibalism, Stress‑Induced Cannibalism, or Adaptive Cannibalism — and Cannibalism in the Modern Civilised West
The 2026 release of more than three million Department of Justice files related to Jeffrey Epstein triggered a wave of sensational claims online, including allegations of cannibalism and “ritualistic sacrifice.” These claims spread rapidly across social media, often detached from the actual content of the documents. (1) what the files actually contain, (2) what fact‑checkers have verified, and (3) how scientific frameworks classify different forms of cannibalism. Let's look at the Epstein‑related allegations through the eyes of anthropological and psychological categories of cannibalism—pathological, stress‑induced, and adaptive—while also situating the discussion within wider patterns of cannibalism discourse in the modern West. 1. What the Epstein Files Actually Contain 1.1 Documented Mentions of Cannibalism Fact‑checking organizations confirm that the DOJ files do contain references to cannibalism. Snopes reports that the documents include allegations of cannibalism and “ritual...