In Puszczykowo near Poznań, a Polish court annulled the death sentence of Serhii T., who was convicted of killing his wife and children in November 2023.
Crime that shocked public opinion
In November 2023, investigators discovered the bodies of a woman and her two daughters, aged 4 years 6 months and 1 year 6 months, in a house in Puszczykowo, a town near Poznań. All three were suffocated. The evidence showed that Serhii T. first murdered his wife and then her children. A teenage son of the woman from a previous relationship slept in his own room and heard nothing.
Within days of the crime, Serhii T. visited a security guard at a shopping centre in Poznań, confessed to killing the family, and was arrested by police.
Verdict overturned by appellate court
On 30 October 2025 the Poznań Court of Appeal set aside the death sentence handed down by Judge Daniel Jurkiewicz in March 2025. The appellate court ruled that the original judge had been appointed with the involvement of the current Judicial Council (KRS) – a practice deemed unconstitutional by parts of the community and the government.
Judge Henryk Komisarski, chair of the appellate panel, said the court could not uphold a ruling issued by a judge whose appointment was flawed. He added that the decision to annull the verdict was taken with great regret and sorrow.
Judge who annulled had rated the original judge
Complicating the case, Judge Komisarski had issued an assessment of Judge Jurkiewicz years earlier that contributed to Jurkiewicz’s promotion by the KRS in 2020. The 2020 council resolution praised the candidate as “a very good judge.” Komisarski has since clarified that his own opinion was negative, noting only that Jurkiewicz met formal requirements and had adequate experience, without endorsing his substantive performance.
Trial returns to court
The annulment means the murder trial in Puszczykowo will begin anew. The appellate court emphasized that the defendant’s guilt was undisputed; the annulment was purely formal. This follows a trend of high‑profile cases where decisions involving newly appointed judiciaries are challenged. Victims will have to endure the proceedings again. The Justice Minister said solutions to reform the KRS would be presented next week.
