Czech Republic priest cuts off his penis with knife after tick bite

In a shocking incident in Ceskobudejovick, Southern Bohemia, a priest from the Czech Republic reportedly inflicted harm on himself by slicing off his own genitals with a knife.

The distressing episode unfolded after the man, allegedly driven into a psychotic state by a tick bite, was rushed to the emergency room, where doctors discovered the extent of his genital injury.

“We don’t know exactly what happened, it was probably a health problem,” the mayor told local media outlets. According to reports, people first realised something was wrong when the priest didn’t show up for a prearranged meeting. Paramedics rushed to his house where they found him in a pool of blood with his penis severed, Novinky reported.

Facing a deteriorating condition, the priest was placed in an induced coma and connected to a ventilator for 10 days to aid his recovery. The comatose state initially hindered doctors in determining the specifics of the incident.

“He is lying unconscious in the ARO ward [critical care unit] David Henzl, vicar general of the Česke Budejovice diocese, told local media. “Due to these circumstances, it is impossible to find out what really happened.”

According to reports, the priest’s ordeal was attributed to tick-borne encephalitis (TBE), a tick-transmitted disease causing brain swelling.

TBE can lead to personality changes and even psychosis in advanced stages, as noted by Henzyl. The priest had reportedly exhibited health problems the day before the alarming incident, adding complexity to the unfolding situation.