Doctors found guilty over death of pregnant woman in Poland
Two Polish doctors have been sentenced to prison without parole and a third received a suspended sentence for their role in the 2021 death of a 30-year-old pregnant woman who was denied an abortion, PAP has reported.
The convictions were ruled by the Regional Court in Pszczyna, a town in southern Poland, on Thursday, nearly four years after the patient's death, which flared nationwide protests against the country's tough abortion laws.
Now, Andrzej P., Krzysztof P., and Michal M. (full names withheld in accordance with Polish privacy laws), all medics at the Pszczyna hospital, were accused of jeopardising the patient's life, with the latter additionally indicted for involuntary manslaughter.
The patient died in late September 2021 after suffering septic shock, likely as a result of pregnancy complications. Her family believes that the medical staff put off terminating the woman's pregnancy.
Andrzej P., who served as deputy head of the Pszczyna Hospital Obstetrics and Gynaecology Unit, received a two-year suspended sentence. His colleagues, Michal M. and Andrzej P., will spend a year and three months and a year and a half in prison, respectively. Furthermore, the latter two have also had their medical licenses suspended for a period of six years, while Krzysztof P. received a suspension of four years and a fine.
The court's ruling is not final, meaning that the doctors reserve the right to appeal the decision. (PAP)yb/mf
