Sport is murder

Sport is murder is a well-known quote from former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who gave this answer when asked why he was still so fit in his old age. In a sense, the saying also applies to a series of murders that took place in Prague from February to May 1985 during the “Spartakiads,” sporting competitions in the spirit of socialism, which is why the murderer was nicknamed the “Spartakiad Killer.” He turned out to be 16-year-old teenager Jiří Straka with a baby face, who was born on April 14, 1969, in Prague as the second child of a construction manager and a warehouse worker. Jiří, who came from a middle-class family, was an average student, although he had an above-average IQ of 125. Although he was diagnosed with a neurotic disorder at the age of 8, Jiří never attracted attention for any unsavory behavior. In September 1983, he attended the mining boarding school in Stochov near Kladno, where he chose to study mining mechanics. It was there that he first attracted attention for petty theft. On February 17, 1985, Jiří attacked a woman for the first time. She was 20-year-old Ludmila Ch., with whom he had previously engaged in small talk until, at around 9 p.m., he dragged her into a ravine near Novodvorská Street, threw her to the ground, and strangled her for five minutes because she had reacted with horror to his request for sex. Ludmila finally managed to convince Jiří with words that she would take him to her apartment to have sex with him. However, when they returned to the street, Ludmila screamed loudly for help. Jiří then fled and took the night train back to the boarding school. Ludmila, who had escaped with a scare, did not report the incident to the police. It was only when she later learned of the murders of the women that she reported the incident to the police and provided a description of the perpetrator, which was decisive in Jiří’s arrest on May 22, 1985. But until then, Jiří committed all sorts of crimes. On April 8, 1985, he attacked 23-year-old Alice P. at the same spot, strangling her until she was unconscious. He undressed her, filled her mouth with leaves and dirt, and then raped her. He then stuffed leaves into her nostrils and stuffed even more dirt, stones, and her panties into her mouth, causing Alice to suffocate. He then laid the body on its stomach, covered it with leaves, and stole her necklace, which he wore around his neck as a souvenir. Jiří then calmly took the night train back to the boarding school. On May 4, 1985, Jiří was still traveling by tram around midnight when he noticed 54-year-old Vlasta Š. getting off at the last stop in Prague, Hloubětín. He followed her. As she approached her house and reached into her bag for her apartment key, he attacked Vlasta from behind, began to strangle her, and dragged her behind a van, where he wrapped a rope around her neck and tied two knots. He had previously stolen two silver bracelets, a digital watch, and two rings from her. When Jiří realized that Vlasta was much older than he had thought, he assumed she was dead, let go of her, and returned to the tram stop with her handbag, where he took her cigarettes and 950 CZK. He disposed of the jewelry and the handbag. Unsatisfied, he took the tram into town, where he got off at Sokolovská station. In the meantime, Vlasta was able to get help. When he arrived at the station, he got back on the tram to return to Hloubětín, but this time he did not go to the terminus, instead getting off one stop earlier, where 30-year-old doctor Věra F. also got off. He followed her and then attacked her. He knocked her unconscious with her heels, raped her, and strangled her with her bra strap. He then took her valuables. Jiří committed his last murder on May 16, 1985, on 30-year-old shop owner Martha M., whom he happened to meet in a park at night in Dejvice. He followed her for a while before attacking her from behind, dragging her into the basement of a house, raping her, and strangling her with his 70 cm long rope. Just six days later, Jiří was arrested at the boarding school. In addition to these attacks, Jiří had assaulted an 18-year-old student on March 15, 1985, when she opened her front door to him. Jiří knocked her down with a cobblestone and snatched a bag of money from her. Ten days later, Jiří attacked a 19-year-old student and stole her handbag. On April 2, 1985, he attempted to rape an 18-year-old girl, who managed to escape at the last minute, but Jiří stole her handbag. Jiří was tried for three murders, two attempted murders, five rapes, three robberies, and five thefts. He showed no remorse, complete amorality, and emotional coldness. His only regret was that he had been caught. Due to his minority, he received a juvenile sentence of 10 years instead of the death penalty. According to a psychiatric report, Jiří suffered from an abnormally high sex drive and sadistic tendencies. Jiří was repeatedly abused in prison by his fellow inmates as a convicted sex offender. In May 1994, President Václav Havel granted him amnesty, significantly reducing his sentence. Jiří was released from prison and admitted to a psychiatric hospital in Opava, where he met his future wife, whom he married on December 7, 2006. He had already been released in 2004. He changed his name to Novák and moved to a village not far from the Polish border, where he is said to live to this day.