Three years on

After the death of baby Lukas, a verdict is finally to be reached

Lukas was only eight days old before the machines were switched off. The doctor faces up to three years in prison.

(Bild: zVg)

A 64-year-old gynecologist is on trial in Wels for gross negligence manslaughter and assault. Among other things, he is accused of serious treatment errors and breaches of care that led to the death of an infant. Now, two and a half years later, a verdict is to be reached on Wednesday.

The case made waves across the country: on 6 December 2021, little Lukas was born in Vöcklabruck hospital with severe brain damage and died after just eight days in the arms of his parents Sabrina and Stefan W.

Serious allegations
There were major complications during the delivery, which is why a 64-year-old man, who has worked as a specialist in gynecology for 30 years, has to answer again on Wednesday at the Wels Regional Court for gross negligence manslaughter and assault. No verdict was reached at the previous two trial days in December 2023 and February 2024 - this is set to change next week.

High-risk patient due to caesarean section
The mother also almost lost her life during the birth. Everything had gone smoothly during the pregnancy: But when the mother had been admitted to hospital late at night, she was offered a tablet to induce labor. She was not told that, as a high-risk patient who had already had a caesarean section two years previously, she should not have been given this.

Mother only just survived
This procedure had resulted in a uterine rupture in Sabrina W., because of which she had lost two and a half liters of blood and only just survived. The specialist is accused of violations of due diligence, lack of specialist information, inadequate care of the woman giving birth and faulty induction of labor - she faces three years in prison.