"I just want to forget". Tomasz Komenda won't appeal against granted compensation

In February 2021, the District Court in Opole decided that Tomasz Komenda, for 18 years spent in prison, would receive 12 million zlotys of in restitution and 811,000 zlotys as compensation. The verdict wasn't legally binding at the time. Mr Komenda and his attorney Zbigniew Ćwiąkalski said they would decided later on whether to appeal against the ruling.

"No amount of money will bring those 18 years back to me. Money is just numbers in the account, while there's no justice" - Mr Komenda said at the time. His attorney added "the ruling is obviously good. "We've been fully compensated. But, when it comes to retribution, we only have two-thirds of what we wanted. At this point, we're not declaring whether we will appeal or not" - Mr Ćwiąkalski said.

Now, Tomasz Komenda has made his decision. He won't appeal against the verdict. "We're not appealing. I just want to have peace and forget about what happened as soon as possible" - he told tvn24.pl.

His attorney clarified: "There will no appeal because Mr Tomasz Komenda does not wish to visit courts and prosecutors' offices. He wants to close this chapter of his life. Appeal would only make this process longer, and besides, it would have to reviewed by the Court of Appeals in Wrocław, which had sentenced him years ago".

Earlier on, the prosecution had made a similar decision not to appeal against the verdict, finding it fair.

The compensation trial began in July 2019. Tomasz Komenda and his attorney demanded nearly 19 million zlotys.

Tomasz Komenda was arrested in 2000, three years after 15-year-old Małgosia had been raped and murdered in Miłoszyce. The court of the first instance sentenced him for 15 in prison. After an appeal, he was then sentenced for 25 years. Despite pleading not guilty, no one believed him except for his family. In 2005, the Supreme Court refused to overturn the verdict calling the request "clearly groundless".

After 18 years, after reopening of the case, it turned out the man was innocent.

On May 16, the Supreme Court found Mr Komenda not guilty.

In September 2020, the District Court in Wrocław sentenced two other men for 25 years in prison for rape and murder of 15-year-old Małgosia - the very crime of which Tomasz Komenda had been wrongly accused years before. The two men pleaded not guilty and appealed against the verdict.