Human Torches in 1969

Summary

In the work the specifi c epidemic of suicide attempted by self-burning, sometimes probably ratherself-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 (theuniversity student Jan Palach, the secondary student Jan Zajíc and the clerk Evžen Plocek) havedoubtlessly an altruistic character; in this case they were motivated politically. All of these three diedin consequence of their injuries. They were not mentally ill; they have not even any notable disordersof the personality. They were not addicted to alcohol or drugs. Jan Palach did not commit suicide ofdesperation, he did not want to die. He took into account a dolorifi c burn and he wanted to rouse thesociety to protest actions against particular quislingite compromises as a burning torch. Jan Zajícand Evžen Plocek realised the protest suicide by self-burning. In the 25 persons of all the set a certainpsychiatric symptomatology was proved including abuse of alcohol for many years. An over-personalmotivation of the act was not proved in any of them. All of them knew about Jan Palach’s act andits extensive response in the society evidently infl uenced their choice of the method of the suicideact, although some of them originally expressed according to objective statements, that they do notidentify with Jan Palach in this way. Some of them regretted their act after wards.

Key words:
socio-cultural surroundings, self-mutilation attempts, suicide by self-burning.