On the night of 26‑27 April 2022 an 18‑year‑old from Ząbkach was killed with an axe after a money dispute; the victim’s mother accuses the local officer, but a court concludes the attack involved multiple assailants.
The Incident
Shortly before midnight on 26 April 2022, Paweł Ż. arrived at a flat in Ząbkach rented by police officer Rajmund M., demanding money for drugs. After refusing, he left. Later, a 31‑year‑old man, Damian Biskupski, entered the flat and, according to Rajmund, began threatening violence over a debt of 15 złoty.
Biskupski was later found lying on the bed, struck repeatedly with an axe. The attacker had a knife taken from the owner’s jacket and further threatened him with “either pay or I’ll strike” before the fatal blows. The scene was described as chaotic, with multiple blows, including six hits recorded by the forensic examination.
Victim and Allegations
Damian Biskupski, aged 18, was renting the apartment from Rajmund M. and was under debt for money owed to a former friend, as well as experiencing frequent alcohol use. He had been in a short prison term for a drug‑related offence months earlier. Biskupski’s mother, Małgorzata Biskupska, claims her son was attacked by Rajmund and that the officer’s statements were false.
Her testimony states she last saw her son on 25 April, after which he was not home. She reports that she took a cross‑body photograph of Biskupski’s corpse and that the body showed five axe blows and one concussion. She alleges that Rajmund used a knife from his own jacket as the murder weapon.
Witness Testimonies
Police interviews identified Paweł Ż. and Kamil Ch. as witnesses who purportedly failed to alert authorities about the fatal assault. Both men later acknowledged being present at the flat and said Biskupski had been in debt to Rajmund. Biskupski’s former friend, Michał G., reported that Damian had asked for a loan of 2,500 złoty, which was declined.
Additional accounts come from a neighbor and a shopkeeper who say that three men—including the officer, Paweł, and Kamil—were in the flat at the time of the struggle. These statements are contested by the prosecution, who claim Biskupski was assaulted by an unknown wrist‑worn individual.
Court Findings
The criminal investigation concluded that Rajmund M. admitted to using an axe in the attack, leading to his charged of murder. He received a 25‑year prison sentence. Paweł Ż. and Kamil Ch. were also prosecuted for failing to report the crime and aiding in the assault, receiving convictions for conspiracy and accessory to murder.
According to the court, forensic evidence recorded six blows to Biskupski’s head, consistent with multiple attackers. The judge noted that no evidence of the officer’s knife was recovered from the scene, although the officer claimed he had retained it. The sentence for the officer includes a thirty‑year descriptive payment to Biskupski’s mother, adjusted to 20 thousand zlotys.
Family’s Appeal
Małgorzata Biskupska lodged an appeal, demanding the court increase the penalty for the officer to a life sentence and more than double the compensation to more than 200 thousand zlotys. She also accused the prosecution of negligence, arguing that key witnesses were not questioned and that the officer’s denial of prior contact with her son was withheld.
The appeal relies on alleged inconsistencies in the prosecution’s evidence and seeks a re‑evaluation of the officer’s imprisonment terms. The lawsuit also requests that two other witnesses be examined: neighbor Sylwester Sz. and resident Robert Sz., whose statements are deemed critical by the family.’s lawyers.
