Cannibals stuffed flesh in pasties and sold them to neighbours

Three suspected cannibals have gone on trial charged with killing at least two women, eating their bodies and stuffing pasties with their flesh which they sold to neighbours.

A man, his wife and his mistress were arrested in April 2012 in the city of Garanhuns, Brazil.

Jorge Beltrao Negromonte da Silveira, 52, his wife Isabel Cristina Pires, 53, and mistress Bruna Cristina Oliveira da Silva, 28, who lived with the couple, allegedly lured women to their house on the pretence of a nanny job.

They are also accused of putting their victims' flesh in pasties, which they sold to unsuspecting acquaintances in grisly scenes reminiscent of the film, Sweeney Todd.

Police say they confessed to their crimes before claiming to be part of a sect that wanted to reduce the world's population.

The trial started on Thursday and the trio face up to 30 years in prison.

At the opening of the trial, Mrs Silveira called the murders "a horrible, monstrous mistake," according to the G1 news portal.

"It was a moment of extreme weakness and brutality that I regret," she said.

Detectives found remains of two women in the back yard of the suspects' house and they are believed to have been killed between 2008 and 2012.

One of their victims is believed to be Alexandra Falcao, 20.

When they were arrested they told police their sect preached "the purification of the world and the reduction of its population".

Authorities said the trio made empanadas – a thick pasty-style dish – which they filled with the flesh of their victims that had been stored in a refrigerator.

Police say the trio – and a young child who lived with the man and wife – then ate them and sold some to neighbours, schools and hospitals claiming they contained tuna and chicken.

Credit: Mirror.co.uk