Insurance scam: Woman jailed for self-harm

Amidst the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, financial struggles have driven some individuals to extraordinary and illegal measures for monetary gain.

Julija Adlesic, a resident of Slovenia, conspired with her boyfriend to amputate her left hand above the wrist at their residence in Ljubljana in 2019.

Using a circular saw, Adlesic carried out the gruesome act, leaving the severed limb behind as she hurried to the hospital.

This macabre incident was part of a premeditated scheme by Adlesic, who adamantly rejected attempts by medical professionals to reattach her hand.

Upon investigation, authorities swiftly discerned that the purported accident was, in fact, a deliberate act orchestrated by Adlesic to secure a $1.1 million insurance payout.

Court proceedings revealed that she had entered into insurance agreements with five different providers the previous year, anticipating a substantial windfall. Adlesic, facing personal bankruptcy and overwhelming debt, resorted to this fraudulent scheme.

In the days leading up to the incident, Adlesic's partner, Sebastien Abramov, researched artificial hands online, providing further evidence of their complicity in the deceit.

Throughout the trial, Adlesic maintained her innocence, claiming she would never purposefully maim herself. Despite her protests, she, along with Abramov and his parents, pleaded guilty as part of a plea agreement with Slovenian prosecutors in 2021.

Abramov received a prison sentence of two years and five months, while Adlesic initially faced three years behind bars. Judge Marjeta Dvornik deemed the sentences fair and fitting.

However, Adlesic's sentence was subsequently halved in a later hearing, leading to her release from prison in 2022 after serving only a portion of her 19-month sentence.

In a remarkable turn of events, Adlesic spent a mere year incarcerated for her egregious crime.