The Supreme Court will review the case of Kajetan P., known as “Hannibal from Żoliborza,” who was convicted for the 2016 murder and dismemberment of Katarzyna J.
Supreme Court to Consider Cassation Appeal
The cassation appeal in the case of Kajetan P. was submitted to the Supreme Court in August 2024. The court will hear the case on March 26, 2026, after nearly two years of proceedings. According to TVP Warsaw, citing PAP reports, the extended timeline was due to numerous requests to exclude judges. The defense is seeking a retrial, with the main cassation grounds challenging the assessment of Kajetan P.’s mental competence at the time of the crime.
“Hannibal from Żoliborza” – Murder of Katarzyna J.
The murder occurred on February 3, 2016. Kajetan P., then 26 years old, met with 30-year-old Katarzyna J. in her apartment on Wola, Warsaw, under the pretext of offering Italian language lessons. He subsequently killed her with a knife. To conceal the crime and evade responsibility, the accused dismembered the victim’s body and transported it to an apartment he was renting, according to the National Prosecutor’s Office.
Two weeks later, Kajetan P. was arrested in Malta. During his transfer, he attacked one of the escorting police officers and later also assaulted a court-appointed psychologist.
Previous Court Verdicts
In January 2021, the District Court in Warsaw sentenced Kajetan P. to life imprisonment and ordered him to pay 150,000 zloty to Katarzyna J.’s parents as compensation. In June 2023, the Court of Appeal upheld the life sentence while acknowledging that the man had significantly limited capacity to control his actions at the time of the incident.
