Maggots crawl on ignored ailing woman

MELBOURNE - An elderly Australian woman who had numerous ulcers on her body and gangrenous feet was made to lie on the floor of her home for five days before being hospitalised in a serious condition, her flesh rotting and maggots crawling on her, a court was told.

She was put on ventilator but died.

The daughter, Mary Eve Pyrczak, 50, was charged with killing her mother, Kateryna Pyrczak, 72, due to negligence.

During a hearing in the Melbourne Magistrates Court, Katherine James, a nurse, said in a police statement that Kateryna had numerous ulcers on her spine, hips and legs which were decaying when she arrived at the Western Hospital Nov 10, 2008, Australian news agency AAP reported Monday.

Kateryna also suffered from gangrenous feet which were infested with maggots.

“There was a putrid odour of rotting flesh coming from her,” James was quoted as saying.

Mary said Kateryna had been on the floor for five days and she had been giving her food as she lay there, James stated.

“She (Mary) told me her mother had stopped feeding and drinking and that is the reason she had brought her to hospital,” she said.