Trial over murder of 16-year-old girl in Mława opens on 3 November

Schedule of the trial

The trial of Bartosz G. over the killing of a 16-year-old girl from Mława is set to open on 3 November 2026 at the District Court in Płock. The court spokeswoman, Judge Iwona Wiśniewska-Bartoszewska, announced in October that 12 hearings have been scheduled, with the last set for 28 April 2027. That timetable means the proceedings could run into 2027. At a preparatory session held in October, the defendant attended with his defence lawyer, alongside prosecutors and the victim's parents and their legal representatives, and the hearing dates were fixed at that meeting. The father's lawyer has asked for the trial to be public, except for the part dealing with the details of the killing, and the court will rule on that request at the first hearing.

The charge and the defendant's stance

Prosecutors in Płock have charged Bartosz G. with murder with particular cruelty, an offence that carries a possible sentence of up to 30 years in prison. He has denied the offence from the start and has refused to give any explanation. In late July 2026 prosecutors presented him with a supplementary charge describing the injuries the girl suffered, and he again declined to testify. Investigators did not disclose the details of the amended charge, citing the nature of the injuries and the interests of the case. A psychiatric opinion delivered to prosecutors in June 2026 found that he was sane at the time of the killing and could direct his own conduct. The same experts concluded that his mental state allows him to take part in the proceedings and to conduct his own defence.

How the case unfolded

Investigators say the killing took place on the evening of 23 April 2025, after the girl left home to visit a male friend living nearby. Her family reported her missing the following day, and five days later told police she might have been deprived of her liberty. Her body was found on 1 May 2025 in bushes near a production plant belonging to the defendant's family. A post-mortem examination showed that extensive head injuries were the direct cause of death. The defendant was arrested in Greece in May 2025, where he was on a school trip, under a European Arrest Warrant. The extradition process took eight months, and he was brought back to Poland on 23 December 2025. Two days later prosecutors in Płock charged him.

Disputes and open questions

Super Express reports that the victim's mobile phone was found by a railway track at a time when the defendant was already on the school trip in Greece. The outlet calls the phone the biggest unknown in the investigation. Local residents who searched for the girl before her body was found say that people who helped cover up the crime should also answer before the court, according to the same outlet. The victim's father has accused police of playing down the first reports of her disappearance. Those claims are not part of the charge as the prosecutors have framed it so far.

What to expect on 3 November

The court will first decide whether part or all of the hearing should be closed to the public because of the graphic evidence, including video recordings. After that, the prosecutor is due to read the indictment aloud. Bartosz G. can then choose whether to give an explanation, decline to do so, admit the charge or deny it. The victim's family has prepared a series of questions for him, but he may refuse to answer any of them. The panel of judges is set to begin examining the evidence and hearing witnesses at this session.