A woman has been jailed for six years and fined after secretly lacing a colleague’s drinks with toxic chemicals over several weeks at work, leaving the victim with severe internal burns.
The verdict against Małgorzata W., 56, was delivered at the District Court in the city of Warsaw, Mazowieckie Voivodeship, Poland, on 10th March.
Judges found her guilty of attempting to cause serious bodily harm to a co-worker by adding cleaning agents and other toxic substances to her drinks over a six-week period between 15th November and 27th December 2024.
The victim, a 51-year-old colleague, became alarmed after noticing that drinks she had left unattended at work had begun changing colour and taste.
After drinking them, she suffered a series of disturbing symptoms, including stomach pain, a burning sensation in her throat, breathing difficulties and fainting.
Doctors later confirmed she had suffered chemical burns to the mucous membranes of her mouth, oesophagus and stomach.
Suspecting someone was tampering with her drinks, the woman secretly installed a hidden camera in the staff room at their workplace.
The footage captured the moment Małgorzata W. approached the victim’s cup and poured a cleaning chemical into the drink.
Local media reported that in one recording, the accused could reportedly be heard speaking on the phone to a friend and saying: “The tea is standing there, so you know what that means,” moments before adding the substance.
Toxicology tests later confirmed the presence of detergents and other chemicals in the contaminated drinks.
Experts warned that consuming such substances could cause severe internal injuries and potentially even death.
The court sentenced Małgorzata W. to six years in prison.
She was also ordered to pay the victim more than PLN 3,000 (GBP 608) in compensation for damages and PLN 30,000 (GBP 6,077) in compensation for harm suffered, as well as covering part of the court costs.
Another woman, identified as Elzbieta D., who prosecutors said had known about the poisoning but failed to inform authorities, was acquitted.
Investigators said the dispute began at their workplace, where all three women were employed by an external cleaning company servicing a Polish Radio building on Mysliwiecka Street in Warsaw.
According to investigators, tensions grew after the victim, a long-time employee, began pointing out work deficiencies to her newly hired colleague.
The verdict is not yet final and may still be appealed.
To find out more about the author, editor or agency that supplied this story – please click below. Story By: Aloysius Fernandes, Sub-Editor: Marija Stojkoska, Agency: Newsflash
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