“Horrific”: Brain Surgeon Arrested After Daughter, 12, Allegedly Drills A Hole In Patient’s Skull

A neurosurgeon has been arrested and is facing legal charges following what authorities described as “an incredible lack of respect” toward a patient during a critical surgery.

The trainee brain surgeon brought her 12-year-old daughter into the operating theater, where the minor child reportedly even participated in the procedure.

“They all need to be fired and banned from practicing medicine for at least 10 years. This is horrific,” wrote one outraged netizen.

The exact identity of the arrested neurosurgeon has not yet been released publicly

Brain surgeon and surgical team performing a complex procedure in a sterile operating room environment.

Image credits: Getty Images (not the actual photo)

The trainee had been assisting a senior physician and another doctor during brain surgery on a 33-year-old man who had suffered a traumatic brain injury.

The patient was rushed to Graz Regional Hospital in Austria on January 13, 2024, and required immediate surgery.

During the procedure, the trainee allegedly brought her pre-teen daughter into the operating room. 

As the surgery neared completion, she reportedly handed her daughter the drill, allowing her to make a hole in the patient’s skull for the probe.

Modern hospital building exterior with sculpture, related to brain surgeon arrest and skull drilling incident.

Image credits: Medical University of Graz (not the actual photo)

While the operation itself was completed successfully and without immediate issues, a series of anonymous complaints were filed with the public prosecutor’s office in April of the same year.

This prompted a formal investigation, leading to the neurosurgeon’s arrest and ongoing legal proceedings.

The unnamed trainee was assisting two other surgeons during an operation on a 33-year-old critically injured man

12-year-old girl wearing a star-patterned mask sitting in a medical office with a masked adult attending to her.

Image credits: Studio Romantic / stock.adobe (not the actual photo)

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The patient was notified by police authorities in July of last year that he was a witness in the investigation.

At the time, his lawyer, Peter Freiberger, told Kronen Zeitung, “You lie there. Unwilling, unconscious, and you become guinea pigs. There’s probably no other way to put it… There was no contact, no explanation or apology, nothing. That is simply undignified.”

Over a year later, on Tuesday, October 14, the neurosurgeon and one of the other doctors present in the operating room attended the Graz-East District Court for their trial.

According to prosecutor Julia Steiner, after allowing her daughter to drill the hole in the patient’s skull, the neurosurgeon allegedly proudly announced that her daughter had just had her first gynecological hysterectomy.

Hand holding a surgical drill device creating holes in a skull model related to brain surgeon arrest news.

Image credits: Northwestern Medicine (not the actual photo)

A hysterectomy is a major surgical procedure that involves the removal of the uterus, and in some cases, the cervix, ovaries, and fallopian tubes, to treat conditions such as excessive bleeding, fibroids, endometriosis, or gynecological cancer.

As reported by Austrian news outlet Kurier, Julia highlighted that while there were no complications at the time, “the risk cannot be downplayed.”

The health professional allegedly allowed her 12-year-old daughter to drill a hole in the patient’s skull

Brain surgeon and assistant performing delicate operation under surgical lights in a sterile operating room.

Image credits: Georgii / stock.adobe (not the actual photo)

“[It was] an incredible lack of respect for the patient.”

However, the neurosurgeon’s lawyer, Bernhard Lehofer, denied the claims, telling the court that the doctor had full control of the drill at all times and “the child did not drill.”

He further emphasized that the woman had been let go by the medical institution following the investigation and had lost her livelihood.

Elderly man wearing glasses speaking about brain surgeon arrest and alleged skull drilling incident involving child.

Image credits: SkyNews / YouTube

Bernhard added that while bringing the child into the operating theater was “not a good idea,” the neurosurgeon had “paid for this mistake for almost two years [now].”

Meanwhile, the legal representative of the other doctor facing charges, attorney Michael Kropiunig, pointed out that since his client was unaware of the young girl’s age, it was not “relevant” for him to face criminal charges.

According to defense lawyers, the child “did not drill,” as the machine was held by the operating doctor, who had full control of it

Hospital building with colorful HELP sign on rooftop, cars on street, and clear blue sky in the background.

Image credits: Google Maps (not the actual photo)

The doctor told the court that after the surgery was nearly complete, the girl’s mother had briefly left the room to make a phone call.

During that time, the child asked if she could help. When the doctor consulted the mother, she reportedly gave her approval.

His lawyer explained, “He allowed her to put her hand on his hand while he was operating the drill.”

Surgeon in scrubs and mask analyzing brain MRI scans under surgical light in a medical operating room setting.

Image credits: Acronym / stock.adobe (not the actual photo)

Text post reading There are some jobs where bring your daughter to work day isn't a good idea, relating to brain surgeon arrested after daughter drills skull.

At no point did the 12-year-old have autonomous control over the instrument.

However, while the doctor claimed that the mother had given her blessing, the accused neurosurgeon disputed this. 

She maintained that she had only allowed her daughter to observe and not participate, and she missed the moment the drilling occurred.

The accused mother was dismissed from the hospital after a series of anonymous complaints were filed against her

Large historic building under a partly cloudy sky, possibly a hospital related to brain surgeon arrest news.

Image credits: kfr (not the actual photo)

“I was standing in the back and was distracted,” the mother said. 

It also emerged during the trial that when the anonymous reports first surfaced in early 2024, the neurosurgeon had pressured her colleague not to come forward.

She told the prosecutor, “I wanted to protect him.”

The head of neurosurgery at the Graz Regional Hospital, Stefan Wolfsberger, said he initially “couldn’t believe it” when he was alerted by an anonymous letter about the incident.

Gavel lying on wooden table in courtroom setting with blurred person writing legal document in background.

Image credits: KATRIN BOLOVTSOVA / Pexels (not the actual photo)

Due to the lack of physical witnesses and the court ordering several experts to provide their opinions, the case has been postponed, with the trial set to continue on December 10.

“One doctor was taking a phone call, one doctor was ‘distracted’ and not paying attention, and one doctor was allowing a 12 year old to help drill a hole in a critically ill patient’s skull. Sounds like the entire hospital needs an overhaul,” expressed one netizen. 

“That patient could have been any one of us! I’d sue until I owned that doctor and bankrupted that hospital,” wrote one concerned user

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Text post with caption discussing a brain surgeon arrested after daughter, 12, allegedly drills a hole in a patient's skull.

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Text comment about a brain surgeon and daughter drilling a hole in a patient's skull, highlighting a horrific medical incident.

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Brain surgeon in courtroom, appearing distressed as case unfolds involving daughter allegedly drilling hole in patient’s skull.

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Comment text saying What’s the big deal? It was just a drill, referencing a horrific brain surgeon arrest case.

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