Scandalous incident at the Graz University Hospital, where a 12-year-old child found himself in the operating room and, according to the prosecution, participated in an intervention that ended in an unexpected outcome: the court acquitted two doctors due to lack of evidence.
According to the prosecution, the girl held a surgical drill in her hands and even drilled a small hole in the patient’s skull. Prosecutor Julia Steiner stated that the child was effectively given the opportunity to perform a surgical procedure, which endangered the patient’s life and violated basic medical protocols.
Patient Gregor P. in court he described the severe psychological consequences: “When I remember that I was operated on when I was twelve years old, my sleep is disturbed. I would never agree to this.”.
However, the surgeon’s assistant claimed that the girl only put her hand on his arm and did not operate the device on her own. The court concluded that there is no direct evidence that the child actually carried out the drillingand acquitted the doctors. The judge called the very presence of a child in the operating room “madness,” but emphasized the lack of evidence of intentional harm.
The neurosurgeon apologized, saying her actions were “the worst mistake of my life.” According to witnesses, after the operation she even spoke with pride about her daughter’s “first experience.”
The incident became public after an anonymous complaint. Now the patient’s lawyer is preparing civil suit for compensation for moral damage in the amount of 20,000 euros.
The case sparked widespread debate about medical ethics, access of unauthorized persons to operating rooms and the limits of responsibility of doctors.
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