Man's remains discovered with cause of death still unknown

The cause of death of a 21-year-old man, whose foot bones were found on beaches located hundreds of miles apart, remains undetermined, an inquest has reported. Pawel Martyniak, who had a history of severe depression, left his home in Gorleston, Norfolk, on 30 November 2021, and was never seen again. His remains were discovered in a trainer washed ashore in Sweden in March 2023, and a similar find was made in Winterton-on-Sea, Norfolk, just three weeks later.

Coroner Yvonne Blake stated that the cause of Martyniak's death could not be established due to the advanced decomposition of his remains. The deceased had left Essex University in 2019 and was under the care of Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust. Before his disappearance, he had stopped taking his prescribed medication and had started to identify as female, as revealed during the inquest.

Mental health professional Ian Steward-Anderson, who began treating Martyniak in 2020, described him as "very depressed" and noted he had experienced "some psychotic symptoms." However, Martyniak was hesitant about taking medication and was unsure about his mental health condition. The two had discussions about gender identity, sexuality, and gender dysphoria, and also talked about specialized support options. His GP confirmed that Martyniak had requested a referral to a gender clinic, and had the surgery been aware of his lack of medication, it would have acted swiftly.

In a statement from his family, Martyniak's mother and sister stated that he had not received "adequate care and treatment," claiming that his care had been "neglected and mismanaged." They further stated that Martyniak had disappeared from home while they were seeking help from a neighbor after he had assaulted both of them.

Coroner Yvonne Blake concluded that "all efforts by police and family to locate him were unsuccessful."

On 2 March 2023, a trainer containing a sock with foot bones was discovered on a Swedish beach. A similar find occurred on 21 March when a dog walker discovered another trainer with a sock and a bone fragment on Winterton beach. DNA tests confirmed that the remains belonged to Martyniak.

Author: Gavin Porter