DROBIN — 2001 · Murder
Kidnapping and Murder of Krzysztof Olewnik
Krzysztof Olewnik, the son of a business family, was abducted from his home near Drobin on the night of 26-27 October 2001. For two years the kidnappers repeatedly contacted the family demanding ransom; in July 2003 a ransom of 300,000 euros was handed over, but Olewnik was not released and was killed about a month later. His body was found in 2006 at a site shown by one of the arrested kidnappers. In March 2008 two perpetrators were sentenced to life in prison, and ten gang members in total had been convicted by final judgments by 2010. Serious failings in the investigation led to a parliamentary inquiry in Poland. In 2019 the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Poland had violated the right to life because of grave police errors.
- Date
- 2001
- Place
- Masovia, Poland, Drobin, PL
- Category
- Murder
- Case Status
- Solved
- Coordinates
- 52.7400, 19.9900 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 26-27 October 2001Olewnik was abducted from his home near Drobin.
- July 2003The family handed over a 300,000-euro ransom; he was not released.
- 2003Olewnik was killed by his captors after the ransom.
- 2006His body was found at a site shown by one of the arrested kidnappers.
- March 2008Two perpetrators got life sentences; ten gang members were convicted by 2010.
- 5 September 2019The ECHR ruled that Poland had violated the right to life.
Sources
- WBJ — ECHR: Polish authorities responsible for errors wbj.pl ↗
- The Krakow Post — The Krzysztof Olewnik Case krakowpost.com ↗
- ECHR — Olewnik-Cieplińska and Olewnik v. Poland hudoc.echr.coe.int ↗
- Warsaw Business Journal
- The Krakow Post
- European Court of Human Rights
Source grade B: at least one verifiable linked source. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.