“He turned her body into a sieve.“
That’s how the mother of 20-year-old Karolina described the horror that unfolded in a London flat on May 4, 2017. Stabbed 26 times by her ex-boyfriend, Karolina bled to death in what the court later described as a “brutal, frenzied attack.”
The murderer? A fellow Pole.
Her ex-partner, 23-year-old Grzegorz K., couldn’t accept that their three-year relationship was over. In a fit of jealousy and rage, he stormed into an East London apartment and unleashed a terrifying assault that ended Karolina’s life and scarred two others who tried to intervene.
The murder shocked both the UK and Poland. Karolina, an architecture student at the University of Westminster and part-time waitress at the Polish embassy, was described as bright, loved by everyone, and full of dreams. But none of that mattered in the face of Grzegorz’s cold fury. He admitted killing her because she “broke up with him and made his heart stop.”
This tragic case isn’t isolated. Around the world, a disturbing number of violent crimes—especially against women—are committed by former partners who can’t accept rejection. Statistically, women are most at risk during or shortly after leaving a relationship. It’s a heartbreaking pattern that continues to take lives.
Karolina had broken up with Grzegorz three weeks before the attack. She’d started seeing someone new. For her, it was a new chapter. For him, it was the end of control—and he couldn’t take it. The day before the murder, he showed up drunk with a knife. She thought he wanted to harm himself. She didn’t call the police.
The next day, she was gone.
In court, the killer’s lawyer blamed jealousy, alcohol, and “first love.” But the judge saw it for what it was: a calculated and savage act. Grzegorz was sentenced to life in prison, with a chance of parole after 20 years.
Karolina’s mother, Anna, said she would never forgive him:
“He stabbed her again and again, making sure she wouldn’t survive. That kind of hate… that kind of evil… a life sentence isn’t enough.”
The chilling truth? Breakups can be dangerous. Especially when there’s jealousy, control, or violence involved. If you’re ending a relationship and something feels off—tell someone. Involve authorities. Protect yourself.
Karolina didn’t think it would come to this.
No one ever does.
But now, she’s gone—and her family is serving a life sentence of grief.
