Czech court upholds sentences for medics in military student death

The Brno Regional Court has upheld suspended prison sentences for two military medics involved in the death of a University of Defence student during a training exercise in Vyškov in February 2023. The student died after tripping during a night march and striking his neck on his weapon's bayonet.

The court found that the medics, Lence Šmýdová and Simona Burianová, underestimated the severity of the student's injuries. Instead of consulting a doctor or calling emergency services, the medics performed only a cursory examination and sent the student to a resting area, where he subsequently collapsed and died. The presiding judge, Markéta Jirsová, noted that even a layperson would have recognized the need to call an ambulance.

Šmýdová received a 2.5-year prison sentence, suspended for three years. The court modified Burianová's sentence from 16 months to a one-year prison sentence, suspended for 20 months, citing a need for better proportionality in sentencing. Both medics have maintained their innocence, stating they did everything within their power at the time.