Katarzyna G. has been convicted over abusive online posts about murdered Maja from Mława and her family.
Katarzyna G. convicted over posts – what the case is about
The case of Katarzyna G. is a consequence of the brutal murder of 16-year-old Maja from Mława, which shocked the public across Poland. The mother of suspect Bartosz G. spent months publishing thousands of online comments attacking the murdered teenager and her loved ones.
According to findings by the family’s attorneys, Katarzyna G. may have published as many as 10,000 abusive posts – from insinuations to vulgar accusations. These posts amounted to persistent harassment and defamation, which became the basis for a civil lawsuit to protect personal rights.
Court ruling – punishment for online hate
The District Court ruled that Katarzyna G. violated the personal rights of the family of the murdered 16-year-old, committing defamation and persistent online harassment. As a result, Katarzyna G., convicted over her posts, must not only delete her comments but also compensate the victim’s family financially and for the damage to their reputation.
The court ordered Katarzyna G. to pay 150,000 zloty in compensation to Maja’s father (Maja’s family).
In the lawsuit, the family’s attorneys sought 1 million zloty, but the court found this amount too high and reduced it to 150,000 zloty, with interest from the date the ruling becomes final. In addition, Katarzyna G. must cover court costs and publish an apology in the press and online, which realistically raises the „price” of her hate even further.
Key elements of the ruling:
- a ban on publishing any content that offends Maja’s memory or the good name of her family online, on social media and in traditional media
- an obligation to delete existing posts containing false information
- monetary compensation awarded to the teenager’s father and an obligation to publish public apologies in the media
The ruling is not yet final, but the family’s attorney stresses that it is an important signal for everyone who „thinks you can insult people online without consequences”.
Where defending a son ends and hate begins
Katarzyna G. argued in court that she „defended her son’s innocence” and merely „presented the facts”. The judge, however, found that the scale, content and persistence of the posts went far beyond acceptable criticism or the emotional comments of a parent.
In practice, the court considered several factors:
- the repetitive and mass nature of the published content
- vulgarity, harmful character and lack of factual basis
- the situation of the family – grieving the death of a child
This is an important precedent-setting signal: emotions surrounding a high-profile criminal case do not exempt anyone from responsibility for their words, especially when they turn into a harassment campaign against a specific family.
