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Man has no rights to bury his husband where he requested because of their sexuality

Wojciech Krucinski married Andrzej Wierzbowski one week before he died of cancer

By Steve Brown

A man has been left heartbroken after he has no rights over where his husband will be buried because he is gay.

Wojciech Krucinski married Andrzej Wierzbowski just one week before he died of stage four cancer in Liverpool, and despite being officially recognised as a married couple in the UK, their marriage is not recognised in their native Poland.

Andrzej’s dying wish was to be buried in Elblag in Poland where his husband is originally from but as same-sex marriage is banned in the country, the state will not recognise their marriage meaning Wojciech has no rights to decide where his husband will be laid to rest.

Andrzej’s former colleague and close friend Justina McMahon told the Liverpool Echo: “He got married in hospital on June 6 with his partner – they were really in love.

“Right now according to British law his husband had a right to do with his body whatever he wishes.

“Andrzej’s last wish was that he wanted his body to be taken back to Poland and to be buried where his husband comes from.

“He asked all the family to promise him on his deathbed this would happen and they did – but now he has passed away as soon as the body enters Poland his partner has no rights.

“Because they were madly in love and he wanted to be buried with his husband later when he passed away as well.

“Everyone knew this because it’s what he was telling us, that if the worst were to happen he wanted it that way.

“I’m in total despair because to me it’s beyond disgusting because we promised him on his death bed it was going to happen. The thing is that the husband has no rights.”

Andrzej lived in the UK for more than six years and worked as a translator for a Polish company until he was diagnosed with lymphoma.