Polish court sets November trial date for teenager accused of killing Maja K.

Organizational hearing in Płock

The Regional Court in Płock held a closed organizational hearing on 7 October 2026 to prepare the proceedings against 18-year-old Bartosz G., who is charged with murder committed with particular cruelty. The session took place in a reinforced, monitored courtroom outside the main court building and adjacent to the Płock penal facility, a location previously used for high-security criminal proceedings. Bartosz G. appeared alongside his defence lawyer, facing the victim's parents, their legal representatives, and regional prosecutors. Following discussions that lasted about four hours, court spokesperson Judge Iwona Wiśniewska-Bartoszewska announced that the substantive trial will begin on 3 November 2026.

The April 2025 killing and extradition

According to the indictment submitted by the Płock Regional Prosecutor's Office on 13 August 2026, the crime occurred on 23 April 2025 in Mława, when then 17-year-old Bartosz G. met with 16-year-old Maja K. at his family residence. The teenager's family reported her missing that evening, initiating a search that ended on 1 May 2025 when search teams discovered her body in bushes near a production plant owned by the suspect's family. A post-mortem examination determined that extensive head injuries caused her death. Bartosz G. travelled to Greece on a school trip shortly after the incident, where authorities detained him under a European Arrest Warrant in May 2025 before extraditing him to Poland in late December 2025. Psychiatric experts evaluated the defendant and determined he was fully sane at the time of the alleged offence, though Bartosz G. has refused to plead guilty or provide testimony during questioning.

Family demands and claims of third-party involvement

Outside the courtroom, the victim's family and local community members called for the maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison without early release. Legal counsel representing the family submitted a formal motion requesting the court to declassify parts of the trial proceedings, aiming to inform the public about youth demoralization. The victim's father, identified as Jarosław, expressed frustration at the defendant's courtroom demeanour after observing him during the hearing.

In my assessment, this man has no feelings. He simply smiled in the courtroom. He showed no remorse. I cannot imagine how a young person can be so demoralized.

Community activists present at the court building raised concerns regarding potential accomplices, noting that the victim's phone was found near railway tracks days after the disappearance while the suspect was already in Greece. Mariusz Zalewski, who organized a local memorial march in Mława after the murder, gathered with relatives carrying a banner demanding accountability for anyone who assisted in concealing traces of the crime.

Procedural schedule

The upcoming trial on 3 November 2026 will address both the direct accusations against Bartosz G. and the motions submitted regarding courtroom publicity. Under Polish penal law, Bartosz G. faces a maximum sentence of 30 years imprisonment for the charges outlined in the indictment. The court has retained tight security protocols for the upcoming sessions to maintain order throughout the legal proceedings.