A Warsaw appeals court has upheld a verdict acquitting three officials charged in the 2018 death of a six-month-old girl when a tree branch fell on her in a park.
The Warsaw Regional Court on September 23, 2025, upheld the acquittal of three officials accused of negligence in the August 20, 2018, death of a six-month-old girl at Praskim Park. The court’s decision was based on a “unique set of circumstances that could not have been prevented.”
The appeals court found no grounds to overturn the first-instance court’s decision, agreeing that the tragedy occurred under unforeseeable conditions. A judge stated that if the family had arrived 10 minutes earlier or later, the tragedy would not have happened.
The case involved two horticulture specialists from the Warsaw Green Space Management (Celinie Ch. and Agata M.) and the former director Marek P., who were charged with negligence and creating a state of danger. The prosecution argued that the event could have been prevented with earlier supervisory actions, while the defense maintained that there was no basis for criminal liability.
The incident occurred on August 20, 2018, when a heavy branch from a maple tree fell on a mother and her six-month-old daughter, Lilianna, who later died from her injuries. The mother suffered severe injuries, including head and spine trauma and an open leg fracture.
The prosecutor announced plans to seek a written justification for the verdict and consider filing an extraordinary appeal. The case has drawn attention to the city’s management of green spaces and the presence of fungal infections in trees.
