Death of a 31-year-old woman at the police station, photo posted on WhatsApp. The prosecutor's decision

On July 14, Gorzów police officers, executing a court order, detained a 31-year-old woman who was to serve a prison sentence. She was taken to the police station in Gorzów Wielkopolski and placed in a room for detained persons. In the evening of the same day she died. One of the policewomen shared a photo of the resuscitation operation of the 31-year-old woman via instant messenger.

The decision to discontinue both investigations was made by the District Prosecutor's Office in Słubice (Lubuskie). They are not legally binding.

Findings regarding the death of Aleksandra W.

In the case of unintentional causing the death of Aleksandra W. and possible failure to fulfill their duties by the officers, the prosecutor found that the police officers' actions were correct and in accordance with the procedures. The investigation findings show that no one contributed to the woman's death. Its cause was acute cardiorespiratory failure.

The key evidence in this case was the full recording from the surveillance cameras inside the cell. His analysis showed that the inmate behaved calmly and rested on the bed most of the time. After a short trip to the bathroom, she returned to the cell, sat down at the table, and then lay down on the bed again. When the new shift officers entered the cell for a routine check, the woman showed no signs of life. The police immediately started resuscitation and called an ambulance.

The photo posted on WhatsApp ended up there by accident

In turn, during the investigation into possible abuse of powers by one of the policewomen, it was established that her behavior did not constitute a prohibited act. The opinion of an expert turned out to be crucial in this case, as he confirmed the version of the policewoman and her colleagues that the photo from the resuscitation operation was accidentally shared on WhatsApp.