Polish authorities say a 57-year-old medical pathologist has been taken into custody after the remains of 34 human foetuses were found buried in the garden of her former home. Prosecutors report that investigators discovered the foetuses during a search prompted by a tip that medical waste had been located during construction work in the southeastern village of Lutoryz. The search involved police, radar and dogs, after which officers reportedly found the buried remains along with tens of thousands of microscope slides, paraffin blocks and “fragments of documentation.”
Prosecutors suspect the doctor used the foetuses for experiments and have brought charges including desecrating corpses, improper waste handling and abandoning hazardous materials in an unauthorised location. Authorities say the woman has no previous criminal record and, if convicted, faces a potential prison term of up to 12 years.
According to a prosecutor’s spokesman, there is not yet evidence that the foetuses were obtained through illegal abortions. The doctor has indicated to prosecutors that she herself brought and buried the foetuses and other medical waste, but details about how the remains were obtained and the identities of the foetuses have not been determined. Investigators have not stated whether she acted alone.
