Bratislav, Vladimir (1976 - )

Known as the Beast of Lysva. Raped and killed 30 women between March 1997 and June 1998 in Russia. He was arrested in June 1998 when he let one of his victims go and she was able to identify him. He was sentenced to life in prison.

Vladimir Bratislav, the Beast of Lysva, raped, mutilated and murdered in more than a year's time thirty young women. Right now, he's a prisoner in the prison of Solikamsk in the Urals where he's serving a life sentence. Bratislav says that, whenever he sees a woman, he feels the urge to assault her immediately.

The 50.000 inhabitants of Lysva never had a clue about who Bratislav really was. No one would suspect him. He's the son of a prosperous working-manager who, ironically, promised a reward to anyone who could give any information about the case. Bratislav's brother is a member of the Russian civil army, the militia. Vladimir sometimes went along when his brother and other policemen searched for the serial killer.

In Lysva, there's only in two places some amusement to find: the Poesjkinpark and the local nightclub. That was the hunting ground of the serial killer. There he looked out for attractive women which he unanimously called whores. Psychiatrists think his atrocities were fed by a humiliating sexual experience in his teenage years. When he was fourteen, an older woman rejected him. He couldn't maintain an erection; he failed. That would be the cause.

In March 1997, he raped and killed his first victim in a way that's too horrifying for words. After the first murder, Bratislav went to see a priest, but this one wouldn' t listen to him, although he really regretted the killing. Bratislav then figured that, if even a priest wasn't interested, how would anyone else be? He assumed that he couldn't expect any help from anyone. Although Bratislav felt guilty after that first murder, it didn't take long to kill again. Hardly one week later, he struck again. This time his victim was a woman who was jogging in the park, early in the morning. First, he raped her, he beat her up and bit in her breasts before he eventually strangled her.

Bratislav tries to minimalize his own share in the murders. He claims that he only wanted to rob his victims from their jewelry, but that he killed them once they saw his face. He doesn't know how to explain the fact why he didn't sell those jewels then. He claims he raped and mutilated them to distract the police. And their eyes he removed to be certain they'd never recognize him. He raped and killed only those women who wouldn't cooperate. His file says that Bratislav attempted to murder six women and that he effectively killed ten women. Bratislav himself claims he killed much more. He estimates he murdered more than thirty times.

His fourth victim, Elena Lyzhina, made the 'mistake' to look at Bratislav. The night of July 28th, 1997, he waited for her, he raped her, and he cut the eye loose from the optic nerve that runs from the eye to the brain. Miraculously, the woman survived this horrible attack, but she's permanently blind.

August 4th, he waited for Olga Kosenko when she left Lysva's nightclub early in the morning. She was found raped and strangled. His next two victims were women he knew. August 17th, he attacked the 18 years old Anna Maraku-lina from behind until he realized that he knew her. At first, he tried to make his attack look as a joke, but she didn't believe him. He raped her and hit her on the head until the girl died.

Five days later, he killed another girl he knew, the 17 years old Maria Shetsova. He waited for her outside the club, suggested to go for a walk with her. In the Poesjkinpark, he overwhelmed and stran-gled her. He bit and chewed on her breasts and pushed a wooden stick into her mouth.

One week later, Alvira Kanzeparova was walking to the club when Bratislav attacked her. He raped and strangled her, and he put out her eyes. Once he said: "I put out their eyes because they wouldn't stare at me anymore. Is that so weird?" The only woman who escapes from his universal misogynism, is his mother. He says that she's the example of an honorable, virtuous woman.

Natalya Mezentseva made the catching of Bratislav happen. June 10th, 1998, he attacked her, but in-stead of killing her, he only took her purse, and ran off. Natalya recognized him, and called the militia.

At first, they thought it had been nothing more than an drug addict who needed money, but a couple of days later, another woman was assaulted in the park. She was severely beaten up. When Natalya drove with some police officers around the park, she saw him, and he got arrested.

At the time, he's serving a life sentence. He says he's lonely, but still, he doesn't regret any of his crimes. This man doesn't have any feeling, any morality.

Written By Queenie