Swiss forensic specialists have delivered their formal opinion regarding the 2006 medical treatment of Jerzy Ziobro, the late father of former Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro, following a protracted legal dispute.
The History of the Case
Jerzy Ziobro was admitted to the University Hospital in Krakow in late June 2006 for coronary artery stent procedures and passed away on July 2. His family alleged medical malpractice, though the Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski prosecutor’s office twice closed the investigation, citing expert testimony that no professional errors occurred.
In 2011, the family filed a private indictment against four doctors. The public prosecutor joined the proceedings in 2016, and the case has since proceeded under public prosecution as the family challenged earlier expert findings.
International Expert Reviews
Seeking an objective assessment, investigators commissioned forensic experts from the Center of Forensic Medicine in Lausanne. This institution was previously involved in analyzing remains related to the Smolensk plane crash, a choice the National Prosecutor’s Office viewed as a path toward impartiality.
The Lausanne center issued its first report in 2018, followed by a second request in 2022. The selection of this specific Swiss center was deliberate, reflecting a broader effort to secure the most authoritative medical evidence available.
Findings on Medical Strategy
Documents obtained by Rzeczpospolita indicate that the Swiss experts confirmed the family’s assertion that the patient suffered from three-vessel coronary artery disease and would have benefited more from bypass surgery than the repeated stent procedures he underwent.
The experts also characterized the description of the stents in the autopsy report as imprecise and incorrect. Similar critiques of the treatment had been previously raised by cardiologists from Germany, Italy, and Israel.
Legal Next Steps
The Lausanne opinion concludes that no violation of medical standards occurred during the clinical treatment starting from July 1, 2006, the period following the stent procedures. The Krakow District Court is scheduled to examine this expert report during hearings on June 23 and July 1.
