Funeral home in Lower Silesia under investigation after body swap

A funeral home in Garbce, near Żmigród in Lower Silesia, is under investigation following a tragic error where the bodies of two women were swapped. The mistake was discovered by the son of one of the deceased when he opened the coffin to say goodbye to his mother, only to find a stranger's body wearing his mother's clothing.

The Trzebnica District Prosecutor's Office is investigating the incident as a potential desecration of human remains under Article 262, paragraph 1 of the Penal Code. While no charges have been filed yet, authorities are gathering evidence. The sanitary inspectorate (sanepid) has also confirmed that the funeral home violated regulations.

Initial findings suggest the swap may have occurred during the process of preparing the bodies. The son's investigation revealed that the other woman's family had likely already buried the ashes of his mother during their own ceremony. Following the incident, the hospital in Trzebnica has terminated its cooperation with the Litwinowicz funeral home.