A woman from Slovenia, Julija Adlesic, resorted to extreme measures in a desperate attempt to secure a hefty insurance payout but ended up receiving a prison sentence instead.

Facing financial challenges amid the ongoing cost of living crisis, some individuals are resorting to extraordinary and illegal actions for monetary gain. Adlesic, along with her boyfriend, orchestrated a plan in 2019 to sever her left hand above the wrist at their home in Ljubljana.

Using a circular saw, Adlesic carried out the gruesome act, leaving her severed hand behind as she rushed to the hospital. However, authorities soon discovered that it was not an accident but a calculated scheme by Adlesic to fraudulently claim a $1.1 million insurance payout.

Court proceedings revealed that Adlesic had signed insurance deals with five different providers the year before the incident, hoping to collect a substantial sum, half of which would be paid immediately. She was facing personal bankruptcy and substantial debt at the time.

Despite initially denying any deliberate involvement in the incident, Adlesic, along with her boyfriend Sebastien Abramov and his parents, eventually entered guilty pleas as part of a deal with Slovenian prosecutors in 2021. Prosecutors cited evidence, including Abramov’s internet searches on artificial hands, to support their claim that the act was premeditated.

Adlesic maintained her innocence during the trial, stating, “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.” However, she was sentenced to three years in prison, later reduced to 19 months, while Abramov received a two-year and five-month sentence.

Following a second hearing, Adlesic was released from prison in 2022 after serving just one year of her sentence. Despite the reduced sentence, the judge deemed the punishment fair and appropriate.