Zbigniew Ziobro’s Father’s Death Case Resumes in Court

The appellate trial regarding the 2006 death of Jerzy Ziobro, father of Zbigniew Ziobro, has resumed at the Krakow Regional Court following the receipt of a crucial expert medical opinion from Switzerland.

The Path to Resumption

The family of Zbigniew Ziobro continues its legal pursuit against four physicians accused in connection with the treatment of Jerzy Ziobro, who died in 2006. The appellate process, ongoing since April 2018, was paused in October 2022 while the court awaited a 19-page supplementary expert report from the University Center of Legal Medicine in Lausanne. The document reached the court in early May, allowing proceedings to resume this Tuesday.

Allegations Against the Physicians

Jerzy Ziobro was treated at the University Hospital in Krakow starting June 22, 2006, and passed away on July 2, 2006. After the prosecutor’s office dropped the investigation twice, the family filed a private indictment in 2011 against four doctors: Prof. Jacek D., Prof. Dariusz D., Katarzyna S., and Andrzej K. The indictment alleges that despite a duty of care, the medical team endangered the patient’s life through incorrect diagnosis and treatment choices, including the preference for angioplasty over cardiac surgery.

Previous Acquittal and Ongoing Appeals

The accused have pleaded not guilty. In 2016, the prosecutor’s office joined the proceedings on the side of the plaintiffs. In February 2017, the District Court for Krakow-Śródmieście acquitted the four doctors, ruling there was no causal link between the medical treatment and the patient’s death. Appeals against this verdict were subsequently filed by the public prosecutor and the attorneys for the auxiliary prosecutors.