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Coroner Records Unascertained Death in Case of Gorleston Student Identified by Feet Found on Two Beaches

Family say failings in mental‑health care left warning signs unaddressed.

Overview

  • Pawel Martyniak, 21, left his Gorleston home on November 30, 2021 after assaults on his mother and sister and was treated as a high‑risk missing person.
  • DNA testing confirmed two feet found in March 2023—one on the coast of Sweden and one at Winterton, Norfolk—belonged to him.
  • Area coroner Yvonne Blake recorded a short narrative and ruled the medical cause of death unascertained because the remains were incomplete.
  • Police previously said the death was not believed to be suspicious, though the inquest could not determine how he died.
  • Health professionals described struggles with sexuality, identity and possible gender dysphoria, while his family argued psychosis was misread and called his death a preventable tragedy after extensive but fruitless searches, including more than 1,000 posters.