Citation

Cerny M. Ceska Slov. Psychiatr. 2003; 99(7): 360-365.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2003, Ceska Lekarska Spolecnost Jana Evangelisty Purkyne)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

In the work the specific epidemic of suicide attempted by self-burning, sometimes probably rather self-mutilation attempts arisen after Jan Palach's act in our socio-cultural surroundings is analysed. From January to April 1969 totally 29 such acts were realised. 25 men and 4 women formed all set. Ten persons (nine men and one woman) succumbed to their injuries. Acts of three persons (the university student Jan Palach, the secondary student Jan Zajíc and the clerk Evžen Plocek) have doubtlessly an altruistic character; in this case they were motivated politically. All of these three died in consequence of their injuries. They were not mentally ill; they have not even any notable disorders of the personality. They were not addicted to alcohol or drugs. Jan Palach did not commit suicide of desperation, he did not want to die. He took into account a dolorific burn and he wanted to rouse the society to protest actions against particular quislingite compromises as a burning torch. Jan Zajíc and Evžen Plocek realised the protest suicide by self-burning. In the 25 persons of all the set a certain psychiatric symptomatology was proved including abuse of alcohol for many years. An over-personal motivation of the act was not proved in any of them. All of them knew about Jan Palach's act and its extensive response in the society evidently influenced their choice of the method of the suicide act, although some of them originally expressed according to objective statements, that they do not identify with Jan Palach in this way. Some of them regretted their act after wards.

Language: cs

Keywords

Self-mutilation attempts; Socio-cultural surroundings; Suicide by self-burning