Investigation launched into the death of 14-year-old cancer patient who refused conventional treatment

The Klagenfurt public prosecutor’s office is currently investigating a sensitive case: A 14-year-old patient who was suffering from an aggressive tumor died after refusing conventional medical treatment. When she went to a hospital in Graz with her parents four months after the diagnosis, in February 2023, she succumbed to her cancer a few days later.

Clinic doctors file a complaint: allegations against parents and alternative medicine practitioners

The doctors at the clinic filed a complaint because, in their opinion, the tumor had been treated too late. Now stand as the “ Small newspaper “ reported not only the girl’s parents, but also four alternative medical “healers” at the center of the official investigation. The parents are accused of torturing or neglecting the underage child, which led to the tragic death. In the case of the four alternative medicine doctors, the public prosecutor’s allegations range from negligent serious bodily harm to endangering physical safety, according to spokesman Markus Kitz.

The tragic course of this case began with the discovery of a swelling in the young patient. The swelling initially did not cause any pain, the parents’ lawyer, Alexander Todor-Kostic, told the “Kleine Zeitung”. In October 2022, the parents visited private doctors to treat their daughter because they were not assigned an appointment for an MRI examination until the beginning of 2023. The private doctors diagnosed the cancer and recommended a biopsy.

The parents’ lawyer speaks of the 14-year-old’s “well-considered, personal decision.”

The sick girl then decided against conventional medical treatments, i.e. against chemotherapy and radiation. The parents’ lawyer has requested that the public prosecutor’s investigation be stopped. He emphasizes that the “girl who was already capable of making decisions from a legal point of view, who was also very assertive and self-confident” made her “well-considered, own decision not to undergo radiation and chemotherapy” after the diagnosis.