The Regional Court in Warsaw has granted 1,9 million zlotys (around 400,000 euros) to the families of two girls who as babies were accidentally exchanged in a pediatric hospital 25 years ago.
In January, 1984, twin baby girls, daughters of Mrs. and Mr. O., who suffered from pneumonia, were directed to an infant ward in the hospital at Nieklanska, Warsaw. At the same ward stayed a baby daughter of Mrs. and Mr. W. After two weeks the O. and A. families collected their babies from the hospital, not even suspecting that they were not their biological daughters.
Only 17 years later did it turn out that Nina O – officially a twin sister of Katarzyna O. – is, in fact, a biological daughter of Mrs. and Mr. W. while Edyta W., brought up by the W. family, was a twin sister of Katarzyna O. and a biological daughter of Mrs. and Mr. O. The family secret was revealed by the mutual friends of the girls.
The families of the exchanged girls demanded 2 mln zlotys compensation – 300,000 per person – from the Polish State Treasury and the Medical University of Warsaw (which then was in charge of the hospital).
The trial was concluded after seven years in court. (mg/pg)