Julija Adlesic, The Woman Who Cut Her Own Hand Off With A Saw For Insurance Payout Given Prison Sentence

With the current cost of living crisis, it's no secret that many people are finding themselves in tight financial situations. 

This has led some to take drastic, and even illegal, measures in the hopes of securing some financial relief.

Julija Adlesic, hailing from Slovenia, concocted a plan with her boyfriend in 2019 to amputate her left hand above the wrist at their residence in Ljubljana.

Using a circular saw, Adlesic executed their plan, deliberately leaving the severed hand at home as they hurried to the hospital. 

Julija Adlesic cut off her own hand. Credit: Instagram/@julija.adlesic

This act was part of a meticulous scheme to prevent medical professionals from attempting to reattach her hand during treatment.

When authorities and emergency responders were alerted to the 'accident,' they swiftly located and retrieved the missing hand.

However, what was initially presented as a horrific accident was later uncovered by the court as an intentional act by Adlesic to secure a $1.1 million insurance payout. 

It was revealed during the trial that she had arranged insurance policies with five different companies the previous year, with the anticipation of receiving half of the payout immediately.

At the time of the fraudulent act, Adlesic was struggling with debt and undergoing personal bankruptcy proceedings.

Evidence of premeditation surfaced when it was discovered that days before the incident, her partner, Sebastien Abramov, had conducted online research on prosthetic hands, indicating the act was deliberate.

Adlesic maintained her innocence in court. Credit: Sky News

Despite the mounting evidence, Adlesic maintained her innocence throughout the trial, expressing the inconceivable nature of deliberately causing such harm to herself.

"No one wants to be crippled. My youth has been destroyed. I lost my hand at the age of 20. Only I know how it happened," she protested.

Nonetheless, in 2021, Adlesic, along with Abramov and his parents, entered guilty pleas in a plea deal with Slovenian prosecutors.

Abramov received a sentence of two years and five months in prison, while Adlesic was initially handed a three-year sentence.

At the sentencing, Judge Marjeta Dvornik remarked:

"We believe the sentences are fair and appropriate, and will serve their purpose."

However, in a subsequent hearing, Adlesic's sentence was reduced by half, leading to her release from prison in 2022 after serving part of her 19-month sentence. Ultimately, the Slovenian woman spent merely a year incarcerated for her actions.