Passersby initially thought he was wearing a special ‘carnaval suit’. The reality is almost too horrible to be true. After the 42-year-old Roland Z. from Vlaardingen killed his mother on the carnival night of February 4, he skinned her, put on her skin like a robe and wandered the streets like this for half an hour that night.

This was reported by The Telegraph Friday. At first the man’s extravagant outfit was not noticed. When he starting to direct traffic at a busy intersection, motorists called the police. Then the bizarre reality became clear. A doctor had determent that the man, an IT worker who was suffering from religious mania, had draped the 15-kilogram skin of a woman around himself.

The man confessed the murder of his mother directly. He claimed to have acted on behalf of God. His nightly walk was meant to humble himself before God, he told the police. Whether he was inspired by the American movie Silence of the Lambs is not known. In this film a young man kills and flays women to achieve his ultimate dream of becoming a woman, with the use of the skins.

According to his lawyer Roland Z. is a gentle, intelligent man.

The Public Prosecution Service in Rotterdam confirmed in a press release that a woman’s body was seriously maimed. About the nature of the mutilations the OM did not make any further announcements, according to the spokeswoman.