Robert J., wrongfully imprisoned for seven years in “Skin” murder case, seeks record 22.5 million zloty compensation in Katowice court.
Record Compensation Request
On Thursday, February 19, at 10:30 AM, before the District Court in Katowice, a process will begin regarding multimillion compensation for Robert J., wrongfully accused in a high-profile case concerning the murder of student Katarzyna Z. His attorney in the filed claim demands over 22.5 million zlotys in compensation for wrongful years of imprisonment. The man spent over seven years in detention. He was definitively acquitted in 2024.
Defendant’s Plea
“I am not ‘Skin’. I am not a beast. I am not a monster. I killed no one. I harmed no one. I am a human being and citizen of this country, whose law enforcement agencies have been trying for nearly a quarter of a century to implicate me in the murder of Katarzyna Z. I am turning directly to the high court, as this is my last hope for justice” he said. “I never confessed to the murder of Katarzyna Z. and I never will, because I did not do it. I am crying out to you: believe me, I did not do it” he added.
The “Skin” Case Background
Body parts of the victim were pulled from the Vistula River. The “Skin” case has been described as one of the most shocking and most mysterious crimes in Polish history. In 1999, human skin was pulled from the Vistula River, which turned out to have been deliberately removed from the torso. DNA tests showed that the murdered person was 23-year-old religious studies student Katarzyna Z., who had disappeared a year earlier. The case was given the code name “Skin”.
Only in 2017, among other things thanks to the actions of investigators from “X-File,” was a suspect identified and apprehended – Robert J. He was charged with deprivation of liberty and detention with special torment, murder, and then desecration of a corpse. After five years, the Krakow court found him guilty and sentenced him to life imprisonment. In 2024, there was a reversal of fortune. Robert J. was acquitted by the appellate court.
