Hermann Zbinden FonsiaIn February this year, a physical education teacher denounced a doctoral student in sports sciences Fenice Terai University (UFT) from Chile for an illegal muscle tissue biopsy … It has left him with serious physical and psychological consequences, and he is untraceable. The prosecutor handling the case, Ximena Kuka, called him to give evidence on three occasions, but he did not show up, the ABC has learned. Sources close to the case confirm that “Zbinden is still in Spain” and indicate that if he returns to the Andean country, “the public prosecutor will likely summon him again to testify with an arrest warrant.”
As this newspaper reported in its issue of November 23, as a result of the scandal, Al-Muallem resigned from his position at the UFT and also at Francisco de Vitoria University (UFV) in Madrid, where he has been a professor since this year.
In the complaint filed by MAMB, the student who suffered the consequences of the biopsy accuses Zbinden of crimes “Less serious injuries”, “The illegal practice of medicine” and “experiments on healthy subjects.”
The physical education teacher resigned from his position at the Francisco de Vitoria University after the ABC newspaper inquired about his employment status due to the complaint. His whereabouts are not yet known, although Chilean Investigative Police The PDI summoned him to testify as an accused.
So far only two people have been questioned, Asst Exercise Physiology and Metabolism Laboratory (Labfem) of the aforementioned higher institution and former president of the UFT. The first confirmed in detail the account of the victim, who, according to the complaint, was forced by Zbinden to undergo a biopsy of his thighs at the gym there. The second did not provide any information other than confirming the academic life of the accused.
The assistant’s story tells of the horror the victim experienced, as various surgical tools were inserted into his legs without anesthesia. (lidocaine) Enough for the first biopsy and nothing for the second time they get to the bone.
The two doctors were also accused in this case, Romy Schoenberg and Karina Ivinsas well as three other directors, including the Vice President of Research and Dean of the UFT Faculty of Medicine, also did not make a statement despite being summoned.
As the ABC was able to establish, as a result of the scandal resulting from this action, the UFT requested the resignation of the director of the School of Kinesiology. Claudio Villagran SotoAlthough until now it has not been detailed what sanctions were adopted against Tsbinden before he left the institution.
Contrasting versions of UFT
In the first presentation made to Public Prosecutor’s Officethe UFT identified three consultations made by the pursuer via formal letter which were inconsistent with the brief statement he provided to the ABC. This states that an internal investigation “reviewed the corresponding ethical and scientific protocols, including those referring to Muscle biopsies Typical of this type of software. However, he told the prosecutor’s office that they were not allowed to enter Labfem.
However, the Secretary General of the University confirmed in a document sent to Attorney General Kukwa that “no documentary evidence or testimony has been found linking the MAMB student as a registered participant or signatory of informed consent in the research projects approved by the University.” Scientific Ethics Committee».
It also stipulates that muscle biopsy procedures approved by the aforementioned committee “shall be performed exclusively by medical professionals in Empowering clinical wards» Being the only one from the Faculty of Dentistry.
It is also clarified that “Labfem is not a licensed laboratory to perform surgical procedures on humans” (requires a visa from Regional Ministerial Secretariat of Health) And that “UFT does not obtain, store, or provide local anesthesia (lidocaine) in its laboratories for research purposes.”