A Czech priest severed his own penis with a knife after being driven psychotic by a tick bite.
The unnamed priest was found in his home in a small village in Českobudějovick, after friends feared for his life when he failed to show up to prearranged plans.
Firefighters were forced to break through three doors to get to the priest, who was found with severe injuries to his genitals.
He ended up in hospital, but his condition had deteriorated and he was put into an induced coma, and ended up needing a ventilator to assist his breathing.
He was put under for 10 days, and his boss, vicar general of the České Budějovice diocese David Henzl, revealed that the priest had suffered tick-borne encephalitis, which caused inflammation of his nervous system, leading to him suffering a form of psychosis.
A Czech priest severed his own penis with a knife after being driven psychotic by a tick bite (Stock image)
While Henzl said his injuries were comparatively minor, several sources told Czech newspaper Blesk that he should’ve had his genitals amputated.
One added that he had also suffered a concurrent viral infection while in hospital, complicating his medical situation.
The police had previously ruled out that someone else had caused the priest’s injuries.
The priest’s current condition is not currently known.