A 16-year-old was forced under duress to help his father and an accomplice murder their neighbor in a Polish village, a court found.
Background: Neighbor Dispute
Jerzy D. around 2009 bought a part of a house from a deceased woman in the small village of Wierzbna in the Opole Voivodeship. The other part was occupied by Anna and Ryszard G. with their five children.
The G. family struggled financially. Anna G. did not work, while Ryszard G. took occasional jobs and abused alcohol. The family kept to themselves, and villagers feared Ryszard G.
Crisis Escalates
In August 2012, Jerzy D. got into an argument with 9-year-old Bartłomiej G., grabbing and beating him. When the boy’s mother threatened to call police, Jerzy D. attacked her with a knife. He was diagnosed with mental disorders and placed in a psychiatric facility.
Years later, tensions resurfaced when Jerzy D. announced plans to raise goats. After 16-year-old Bartłomiej complained his father falsely claimed Jerzy D. spat on him, Ryszard G. recruited a 32-year-old acquaintance to “sort out” the neighbor.
The Killing in the Woods
Ryszard G. punched Jerzy D., who was then forced into a car by Bartłomiej and Dawid S. They drove to a forest, where they dug a pit. Jerzy D. was thrown into the partially water-filled pit and struck with a shovel multiple times until he showed no signs of life.
Ryszard G. took Jerzy D.’s wallet and phone, burying the documents. The men filled the pit with earth and covered it with branches. Later, Ryszard G. bought alcohol with the stolen money and reinforced the grave site with concrete blocks.
Discovery and Investigation
A social worker reported Jerzy D. missing after finding his home in disarray with an open window. Anna G. claimed he might have visited family. Nearly three years later, a passerby discovered Jerzy D.’s partially exposed remains.
During a routine ID check, Bartłomiej G. nervously mentioned one of his father’s acquaintances was involved in the disappearance. After their arrest, experts determined all men were criminally responsible, though Bartłomiej’s situation was more complex due to years of abuse by his father.
Court Rulings
In June 2023, Ryszard G. was sentenced to life imprisonment, Dawid S. to 25 years, and Bartłomiej G. to 8 years. Anna G. received a suspended sentence for false testimony. The court found Ryszard G. was the crime’s initiator.
Bartłomiej G.’s sentence was reduced to 6 years on appeal due to his age and relationship with his father. Anna G. was fully acquitted when the appellate court found no evidence she knew about the crime. The Supreme Court rejected further appeals from Ryszard G. and Dawid S.
