Thirty-four fetal remains were found in the garden of a dwelling in Poland, and local investigators detained a doctor in her 50s who previously owned the property. Authorities are looking into the possibility that the doctor brought fetal remains from a hospital for personal research and then buried them in the dwelling's garden.
According to Agence France-Presse on the 15th and local Polish media, prosecutors in Poland exhumed 34 fetal remains and medical waste from the garden of a dwelling in Rytorysie in the southeast and detained pathologist Magdalena H, 57, who previously owned the dwelling.
Magdalena H faces charges including desecration of a corpse, improper disposal of medical waste, and dumping hazardous substances at an unapproved site. If convicted, she could face up to 12 years in prison, reports said.
The case came to light when large amounts of medical waste were found during renovation work at the dwelling. After receiving a report, prosecutors and police dispatched investigators, forensic personnel, and detection dogs to the scene and confirmed fetal remains and medical waste buried in the garden, they said.
In addition to fetal remains, microscope slides, paraffin blocks, and documents believed to be hospital records were reportedly found at the scene. Prosecutors see the possibility that these items were related to pathological research.
Polish prosecutors said the suspect stated during questioning that fetal remains and medical waste were buried in the garden of the dwelling. However, for investigative reasons, prosecutors did not disclose details of the statement, including the specific source of the fetal remains.
Local outlet Radio Eska reported that the suspect said she brought fetuses who died at the hospital in Rzeszow where she worked during the COVID-19 pandemic to her home and used them for research. The outlet also reported there was a statement that after research the remains were put into sacks and buried in the garden of the dwelling.
Investigators are probing how the fetal remains were taken out of the hospital, whether there were accomplices, and whether there are additional burial sites. DNA testing is reportedly underway to confirm the identities and sources of the remains found.
The case is causing a major stir in Polish society. Poland has a strong Catholic conservative leaning and is considered one of the countries in Europe with the strictest restrictions on abortion. Locally, questions are mounting over how the fetal remains were obtained.
Prosecutors said that so far they have found no evidence that the suspect obtained the fetal remains through illegal abortion procedures. Investigators are also checking whether there were any separate illegal acts involved in acquiring the fetal remains.