Pathologist Magdalena H., a suspect in the case of foetal remains found in Lutoryż near Rzeszów, has been in custody since mid-June. The first three-month detention order was extended by the court until 9 December.
From the June detention to the extension
The District Court in Rzeszów ordered three-month detention for the 57-year-old doctor on Saturday, 13 June, fully granting the prosecutor’s motion. The information was provided by the spokesperson for the Regional Prosecutor’s Office in Rzeszów, prosecutor Krzysztof Ciechanowski. The detention was to last until 10 September.
On 8 September the same court extended it by a further three months, until 9 December. The prosecution justified the motion by the need to secure the proper course of the proceedings, the risk of tampering with evidence, and the threat of a severe penalty.
Charges and the suspect’s explanations
Magdalena H. is the former owner of a plot in Lutoryż where medical waste and remains of human foetuses were found during earthworks. The prosecution charges her with desecration of corpses and abandoning hazardous waste in a place not designated for it. The offences carry a penalty of up to 12 years in prison.
During her first interrogation, the suspect did not say, as the spokesperson reported, whether she admitted guilt. She gave explanations from which it follows that she herself transported and buried the foetuses and other medical waste. The prosecution is not disclosing details of these explanations for the sake of the investigation. Paraffin blocks and microscope slides were found on the plot. The woman is presumed innocent.
Where the investigation stands
Initially the prosecution reported 32 identified fragments, later it spoke of 34 foetuses. Investigators have secured medical documentation from facilities across the country with which the doctor cooperated, and are questioning witnesses. According to the spokesperson, there is no evidence that anyone assisted the suspect, nor any indication of other burial sites for waste.
The prosecution says it will provide further information to the extent that the good of the proceedings allows. Earlier we reported that investigators rule out that the foetuses came from illegal abortions. Tests of soil and waste from the plot are ongoing.
