Trial and Execution
Elizabeth and Accomplice Fate
The majority of Elizabeth Bathory’s crimes went ‘unnoticed’ by the judges and King at the time because she held an extremely noble position in society and it would have been disrespectful if they were to trial her for her alleged crimes. As Tony Thorne once stated, “Elizabeth led a charmed life in many ways because she was a very powerful, if not, the most powerful aristocratic women in the country.” However, after her husband died in 1604, Bathory was no longer able to hide from the law. Two notaries went to her castle expected to have a conversation with Bathory about her financial state, however, what they found proved to be far worse. There were a calculated 34 servant girls in her chamber. These girls were found either dead or dying, some being found in shallow graves of her dungeon (Holloway, 2014).
Elizabeth Bathory was apprehended for her crimes on 30th December, 1609 along with her accomplices. The man responsible for the judgement of whether or not Elizabeth Bathory would live for crimes was not the King or emperor at the time, but György Thurzó, the family confidante. According to the evidence given at her trial, her image emerged as being a woman who not had a sadistic need to inflict pain and commit murder (Arun, 2012), therefore, she was trialled for 650 counts (number estimate by all witness statements) of death and torture (Larkin, 2017).
Drawing of Palantine György Thurzó, od Sadelera, 1607.
Her accomplices, Dorottya and Ilona Jó were condemned as witches and thus their fingers were ripped off with iron tongs before they were to be burned alive. Ficzkó was deemed to be less of culprit so he was beheaded before his body was given to the flames (Meeg, 2007). However, The Blood Countess, the director of these killings was confined to a room in her castle, which contained only two slits in the concrete walls; one for food and water and the other for air. She died in this same room four years later, 21 August 1614 at the age of 54 (Oddly Historical, 2010).
ÄŒachtice Castle, Slovakia where Elizabeth Bathory lived the last four years of her life.
Sociopath vs. Mentally Ill
Overall, Elizabeth Bathory was a sociopath who brutally tortured her servant girls for her sadistic needs and own pleasure. Even though Elizabeth Bathory did live during the 16th century and had been witness to horrific crimes, her serial killings are not justified by the circumstances in which she lived. Although many contemporary scientists and psychologists have been able to prove that Elizabeth did have mental illnesses which could have affected her ability to differenciate sadistic and correct behaviours, her crimes were too immense to have been caused by the mental illnesses which she had.