Scandal at Southern Hospital: Former Prosectorium Head Faces Allegations of Body Trafficking and Misconduct

Serious allegations of misconduct and illegal practices have emerged concerning Artur Habowski, the former head of the prosectorium at Warsaw's Southern Hospital. Reports indicate that Habowski generated controversy in the funeral industry in Silesia and Zagłębie even before his tenure in Warsaw, with former associates claiming he left previous jobs amid conflicts and that his actions were widely known within the sector. One funeral home owner from Silesia alleged that Habowski proposed illegal cooperation involving the trade of bodies from the MSWiA hospital in Katowice. "He is a madman and a bandit. He proposed trading bodies with the MSWiA hospital in Katowice. In the end, he also robbed me. What a scoundrel," the owner described Habowski. A former supervisor recalled an incident years ago where he allegedly caught Habowski taking photos of eviscerated corpses, reacting strongly to the unacceptable behavior. Other funeral industry representatives shared similar negative opinions, with one acquaintance from Silesia stating Habowski was "completely compromised" there and unable to continue working.

Further accusations detail instances of improper body preparation. An employee from a Warsaw funeral home described receiving a body after an autopsy that was allegedly not properly stitched, with internal organs exposed. "The abdomen was not sewn up at all. The intestines were hanging out of the body. We didn't pay him, so he didn't even finish his job," the employee told Onet.

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He is a madman and a bandit. He proposed trading bodies with the MSWiA hospital in Katowice. In the end, he also robbed me. What a scoundrel.

Onet previously reported on alleged illegal practices within the Southern Hospital's prosectorium, where a system of charging fees for services related to the release and preparation of deceased bodies reportedly operated for years. An informal "price list" allegedly included fees for releasing a body (100 PLN), preparing it and performing thanatological cosmetic procedures (starting from 500 PLN), embalming (1000 PLN), and referring families to specific funeral homes (at least 1500 PLN). The reports highlighted the exploitation of grieving families, who were allegedly directed to the prosectorium head for death certificates, giving him opportunities to offer paid services during their vulnerable state. Following the initial publication, Artur Habowski was dismissed from his position, and the prosecutor's office initiated an investigation. The Mazovian Voivodeship Office, acting on instructions from the Ministry of Health, is currently conducting its own control of the Southern Hospital's prosectorium, which began on July 6 and is being led by the provincial consultant in forensic medicine.

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The abdomen was not sewn up at all. The intestines were hanging out of the body. We didn't pay him, so he didn't even finish his job.