Klara Mauerova, together with her sister and a woman who disguised herself as a young child, embarked upon abusing, torturing and cannibalising Mauerova’s young children.
Klara Mauerova was born in Czechoslovakia in 1975. She and her older sister, Katerina, both suffered with mental health issues from a young age, with Klara eventually diagnosed with Schizophrenia. As they grew both sisters would tell people they were conceived and put on the earth to fulfil a mission from God.
As a young woman Mauerova attended university, but dropped out before finishing her studies after meeting a older man, whom she went on to marry and have 2 children (sons) with – Jakub, 10 and Ondrej, 8. Unfortunately the marriage didn’t last. Mauerova’s husband walked out, abandoning the family, claiming he couldn’t live with the violence caused by Mauerova’s schizophrenia. Katerina moved in with her and the boys shortly after..
Whilst Mauerova was at university she had met a fellow student called Barbora Skrlová, 32, who suffered from hypopituitarism. As a result Skrlová’s appearance resembled a young girl more than a 32 year old woman. Skrlová would often use this to her advantage and on several occasions she would trick people into adopting her, including Mauerova. Skrlová befriended Mauerova and told her that she had escaped from the juvenile centre where she was living due to being treated badly, Mauerova took pity on the “young girl” and offered her a place in her home alongside Jakub, Ondrej and Katerina.
It wasn’t long before Skrlová began to resent Mauerova’s sons and the attention she lavished on them so she began causing trouble and then blaming it on the boys. Mauerova’s anger towards Jakub and Ondrej intensified as Skrlová continued to get them in trouble. In the end Mauerova, alongside her sister, Katerina, turned to a man (recommended to them by Skrlová) who referred to himself as ‘The Doctor’ for help and guidance in dealing with her ‘naughty’ children.
It turns out that “The Doctor” was actually the leader of a religious cult. He was also Skrlova’s father. Together, the duo managed to convinced the sisters that they could get into heaven by doing what he told them to do. “The Doctor” would contact his followers via text messages and often advised the sisters to practise cannibalism , sexual promiscuity and incest. To support this Skrlová suggested they put Jakub and Ondrej into locked cages in the basement. Shockingly, Mauerova agreed and heartbreakingly, from then on the young boys were subjected to the most brutal tortures imaginable. By their own mother and aunt!!
For about a year poor Jakub and Ondrej were gagged and retrained, whipped, burned with cigarettes, stripped naked and left to live within their tiny cages amongst their own faeces and urine. If they did get given a bath it was in a small bucket filled with freezing cold water. The boys later reported that they were often sexually abused and forced to cut them selves with knives. Sometimes Mauerova, Katherina and Skrlová would attempt to drown the young boys. The excitement of this began to wear off for Skrlová. She wanted more! So she constantly kept on at Mauerova and Katherina to do what ‘The Doctor’ suggested and practice cannibalism. Accepting the advice, Mauerova removed slices of skin from Ondrej and the three of them, along with two other relatives ate the raw human flesh. He was forced by them to eat his own flesh too.
On May 7th 2007, Mauerova’s neighbour was setting up the baby monitors in his newborn baby’s room so that he could watch over his infant son. To his alarm, the monitors picked up the signal of the monitors used next door by Mauerova. She had installed the monitors so she could sit comfortably and watch the abuse and suffering of her children from another room. The neighbour was horrified when he realised he was witnessing one of the boys beaten and chained up, naked in the basement next door. The Authorities were alerted immediately.
When the police arrived at the property, Jakub, Ondrej AND a young girl named Anicka, 12, were rescued and freed from the torture chamber. The three of them were taken to a childrens home whilst Mauerova and Katherina were promptly arrested. The evidence recorded by the neighbours monitor was taken as evidence against them.
Anicka, the 12 year old who was freed alongside the boys, fled the children’s home and police realised a little too late that ‘Anicka’ was in fact Skrlová, now 34. She had escaped to Norway, where she was pretending to be a 13 year old boy, but was later apprehended and returned to the Czech Republic to stand trial.
Klara Mauerova confessed to the abuse and torture of her children, although she tried to place the blame onto Skrlová and her sister Katerina, claiming she was manipulated into it. Skrlová accused the sisters of forcing her into it and claimed she had also been abused and tortured. All three testified the involvement of ‘the Doctor’ claiming he had sent them messages telling them how to torture the Jakub and Ondrej.
Judge Pavel Goth handed down the following sentences… Klara Mauerova jailed for 9 years. Katerina Mauerova jailed for 10 years Barbora Skrlová jailed for 5 years Three other adults were implicated in, and charged, for taking part in the torturing and cannibalism…. Hana Bosova, – jailed for 7 years, Jan Skrla – 7 years, Jan Turek, 5 years. Everyone involved in the torture and abuse of Jakub and Ondrej has since been paroled.
