In Tomaszów Mazowiecki, a 30-year-old woman was found not guilty of killing her father, a heavy alcoholic who abused her and her mother for years.
Family’s history of abuse
54-year-old Artur K. lived with his partner Monika W. and their two adult children in Tomaszów Mazowiecki. Unemployed and receiving benefits, K. consistently drank alcohol. For years, he physically and verbally abused his family, threatening to kill them. His daughter, Karolina, often defended her mother, who was particularly targeted by her father’s aggression, including being kicked and hit with fists in the torso and face, as noted by the Piotrków Trybunalski District Court.
Fatal stabbing
On the night of October 27, 2022, drunk Artur K. grabbed a knife from an upper cabinet that was used for mushroom picking or fishing. He stabbed his partner in the thigh. His son tried to take the knife from him, causing a scuffle. K. shouted that he would kill all family members. His daughter Karolina then emerged from the room, where her mother whispered to her, “Karolina, save us.” Monica tried to separate K. from his son. Realizing her father would hurt her mother under the influence of alcohol, Karolina took a knife from the drawer and attacked him. When he fell to the ground, Karolina stabbed him in his right side, according to the court ruling.
Police intervention and court ruling
Her brother saw K. bleeding and called emergency services. Karolina retreated to her room. Police had to break the door to reach her. At the time of her statement, Karolina admitted to killing her father, explaining that her father had repeatedly abused her mother without using a knife. She argued that she didn’t intend to kill him, only to stop him from harming her mother. She expressed regret for what happened.
Suspension of punishment
The Piotrków Trybunalski District Court ruled on July 3 that Karolina K. was guilty of murder but acknowledged that she had exceeded the threshold of necessary defense. The court decided not to impose a punishment. “The defendant defended against an unlawful direct attack on the life and health of her mother. However, the court found that Karolina K. had exceeded the limits of necessary defense. Karolina K. delivered blows to vulnerable body parts and administered five blows in total. One of these blows was delivered after her father was already on the ground, so there was no need for an additional strike,” the ruling stated. “The defendant has two children whom she raises properly, has a positive reputation in her place of residence and has not been previously punished. (…) The defendant herself had been a victim of her alcoholic father for years, who did not hesitate to use violence against her when she defended her mother. (…) Punishing the defendant would be socially unjust, as well as incarcerating Karolina K. and sentencing her to a lengthy prison term without freedom,” the court reasoned. The ruling is not final. As reported by Gazeta.pl, the prosecution has appealed the verdict, disagreeing with the acceptance that Karolina K. killed her father within the framework of necessary defense.
