Misplaced Pages

Skin Hunters: Difference between revisions

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Browse history interactively← Previous editNext edit →Content deleted Content addedVisualWikitext
Revision as of 19:18, 9 September 2008 editMichael Hardy (talk | contribs)Administrators210,279 editsmNo edit summary← Previous edit Revision as of 22:05, 10 September 2008 edit undoPoeticbent (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers29,717 edits copyeditNext edit →
Line 1: Line 1:
The '''"Skin Hunters"'''<ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3323663.stm</ref> ("Łowcy skór" in ]) is the media ] for four hospital ] workers from the ] city of ], who murdered at least five patients and sold information regarding their deaths to funeral homes. They were caught in 2002. Their name comes from the title of the newspaper article which first uncovered their activities. The '''"Skin Hunters"'''<ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3323663.stm</ref> ("Łowcy skór" in ]) is the media ] for four hospital ] workers from the ] city of ], who have been convicted of killing at least five patients and selling information regarding their deaths to funeral homes. They were caught in 2002. Their descriptive designation was coined by a newspaper article which first brought the story to public attention.


==Case== ==Case==
On ] ] four workers from a Łódź casualty department were sentenced. Their sentences were upheld by the Łódź Appeal Court in June ].<ref></ref> The perpetrators were shown to have killed patients using the muscle relaxant ] (brand name Pavulon).<ref>This is one of the drugs administered during a ] in the ]. It was also used by medical ] ].</ref> The four workers then sold information about the deceased patients to funeral homes, so they could contact the relatives before other funeral homes. The were paid bribes ranging from 12,000 to over 70,000 ].<ref name=warsawvoice>http://www.warsawvoice.pl/view/13662/</ref> On ] ] four workers from a Łódź casualty department were sentenced. Their sentences were upheld by the Łódź Appeal Court in June ].<ref></ref> However, they are not legally finite and the prosecution does not exclude further appellations.<ref>http://prawo.gazetaprawna.pl/artykuly/28928,lekarze_skazani_w_procesie_lowcow_skor_stawili_sie_w_areszcie.html</ref> The perpetrators were shown to have killed mostly elderly patients using the muscle relaxant ] (brand name Pavulon).<ref>This is one of the drugs administered during a ] in the ]. It was also used by medical ] ].</ref> The four workers then sold information about the deceased patients to funeral homes, so they could contact the relatives before other funeral homes. The were paid bribes ranging from 12,000 to over 70,000 ].<ref name=warsawvoice>http://www.warsawvoice.pl/view/13662/</ref>


The killers are: The sentenced are:
* ] Andrzej N. was sentenced to life for the murder of four patients and for helping Karol B. in a further murder. * ] Andrzej N. was sentenced to life for the murder of four patients and for helping Karol B. in a further murder.
* Paramedic Karol B. was sentenced to 25 years imprisonment for the "particularly cruel" ("szczególnie okrutne") murder of "Ludmiła Ś." and for helping Andrzej N. murder other patients. * Paramedic Karol B. was sentenced to 25 years imprisonment for the "particularly cruel" ("szczególnie okrutne") murder of "Ludmiła Ś." and for helping Andrzej N. murder other patients.
Line 10: Line 10:
* Doctor Paweł W. was sentenced to five years and banned from practising medicine for 10 years for the wilful endangering of four patients. * Doctor Paweł W. was sentenced to five years and banned from practising medicine for 10 years for the wilful endangering of four patients.


The investigation into the scandal is still ongoing. A total of forty other members of the casualty department are under investigation,<ref>http://www.tvn24.pl/0,1559188,0,1,kolejni-lowcy-skor-za-kratami,wiadomosc.html</ref> as are the owners of a local funeral home for receiving information regarding the deaths of patients.<ref></ref>. The funeral home charged the costs of the bribes it paid to the bills that families of the deceased paid for their funerals.<ref name=warsawvoice/> The investigation into the scandal is still ongoing. Real names are protected by the courts. All convictions are being appealed in the ].<ref>http://www.rynekzdrowia.pl/Aktualnosci/Bo-lowcy-nie-byli-lowcami,282.html</ref> Nevertheless, a total of forty other members of the casualty department are under investigation,<ref>http://www.tvn24.pl/0,1559188,0,1,kolejni-lowcy-skor-za-kratami,wiadomosc.html</ref> as are the owners of a local funeral home for receiving information regarding the deaths of patients.<ref></ref>. The funeral home charged the costs of the bribes it paid to the bills that families of the deceased paid for their funerals.<ref name=warsawvoice/>


==Discovery== ==Discovery==
The scandal was first brought to public attention on ] ] in an article in Polish newspaper ] by Tomasz Patora, Marcin Stelmasiak and Przemysław Witkowski. They described that hospital workers or paramedics would call funeral homes regarding patient deaths in order to receive a bribe, and sometimes even killed patients. The dead patients were called "skins" and the article was called "Skin Hunters" ("Łowcy skór")<ref></ref>. The scandal was first brought to public attention on ] ] in an article in Polish newspaper ] by Tomasz Patora, Marcin Stelmasiak and Przemysław Witkowski. They described how the hospital workers or paramedics would call funeral homes regarding patient deaths in order to receive a bribe, and sometimes even killed patients. The dead patients were called "skins" and so the article was called "Skin Hunters" (''Łowcy skór'')<ref>http://serwisy.gazeta.pl/kraj/1,34384,656146.html gazeta.pl</ref>.


==In popular culture== ==In popular culture==

Revision as of 22:05, 10 September 2008

The "Skin Hunters" ("Łowcy skór" in Polish) is the media nickname for four hospital casualty workers from the Polish city of Łódź, who have been convicted of killing at least five patients and selling information regarding their deaths to funeral homes. They were caught in 2002. Their descriptive designation was coined by a newspaper article which first brought the story to public attention.

Case

On January 20 2007 four workers from a Łódź casualty department were sentenced. Their sentences were upheld by the Łódź Appeal Court in June 2008. However, they are not legally finite and the prosecution does not exclude further appellations. The perpetrators were shown to have killed mostly elderly patients using the muscle relaxant pancuronium (brand name Pavulon). The four workers then sold information about the deceased patients to funeral homes, so they could contact the relatives before other funeral homes. The were paid bribes ranging from 12,000 to over 70,000 zloty.

The sentenced are:

  • Paramedic Andrzej N. was sentenced to life for the murder of four patients and for helping Karol B. in a further murder.
  • Paramedic Karol B. was sentenced to 25 years imprisonment for the "particularly cruel" ("szczególnie okrutne") murder of "Ludmiła Ś." and for helping Andrzej N. murder other patients.
  • Doctor Janusz K. was sentenced to six years and banned from practising medicine for 10 years, for wilfully endangering 10 patients.
  • Doctor Paweł W. was sentenced to five years and banned from practising medicine for 10 years for the wilful endangering of four patients.

The investigation into the scandal is still ongoing. Real names are protected by the courts. All convictions are being appealed in the Supreme Court of Poland. Nevertheless, a total of forty other members of the casualty department are under investigation, as are the owners of a local funeral home for receiving information regarding the deaths of patients.. The funeral home charged the costs of the bribes it paid to the bills that families of the deceased paid for their funerals.

Discovery

The scandal was first brought to public attention on January 23 2002 in an article in Polish newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza by Tomasz Patora, Marcin Stelmasiak and Przemysław Witkowski. They described how the hospital workers or paramedics would call funeral homes regarding patient deaths in order to receive a bribe, and sometimes even killed patients. The dead patients were called "skins" and so the article was called "Skin Hunters" (Łowcy skór).

In popular culture

In 2003 a film, "Skin Hunters" ("Łowcy skór") was made of the case starring Piotr Adamczyk.

References

  1. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3323663.stm
  2. gazetaprawna.pl
  3. http://prawo.gazetaprawna.pl/artykuly/28928,lekarze_skazani_w_procesie_lowcow_skor_stawili_sie_w_areszcie.html
  4. This is one of the drugs administered during a lethal injection in the United States. It was also used by medical serial killer Efren Saldivar.
  5. ^ http://www.warsawvoice.pl/view/13662/
  6. http://www.rynekzdrowia.pl/Aktualnosci/Bo-lowcy-nie-byli-lowcami,282.html
  7. http://www.tvn24.pl/0,1559188,0,1,kolejni-lowcy-skor-za-kratami,wiadomosc.html
  8. gazeta.pl
  9. http://serwisy.gazeta.pl/kraj/1,34384,656146.html gazeta.pl
  10. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0385061/

External links

Categories: