Tortured to Death by Evil Parents: The Heartbreaking Case of 15-Year-Old Sebastian Kalinowski
In October 2020, Sebastian Kalinowski moved from Poland to live with his mother in the UK. Within a year, he died following months of relentless abuse and torture.
When teenage Sebastian joined North Huddersfield Trust School in October 2020, he appeared to be very timid and struggled with a language barrier. However, with dedicated help from staff, his English skills improved significantly and Sebastian blossomed into a “caring, intelligent and fun-loving” student with “much more confidence and a strong circle of friends”.
However, what should have been an exciting new chapter of life for Sebastian was cruelly cut short by his own mother and stepfather; the very people who were meant to love and care for him. On Friday 13th August 2021, ambulances were called to the family’s home, where Sebastian was found completely unresponsive. He was rushed to the hospital but tragically did not survive.
A postmortem examination carried out by Home Office pathologist Dr Michael Parsons identified that Sebastian had sustained 81 injuries in total, which included 23 rib fractures as well as deep bruising and lacerations all over his body, each in different stages of healing. The ultimate cause of death was noted as “untreated complications of multiple rib fractures”. It quickly became clear that Sebastian had been a victim of relentless, prolonged abuse.
At the point when Sebastian lost consciousness, his mother and stepfather — Agnieska Kalinowska (35) and Andrezj Latoszewski (38) — did not even immediately dial for emergency services. Instead, they ignored Sebastian for two and a half hours while he lay motionless, before finally seeking medical attention.
As a way of watching and controlling Sebastian’s every move, Latoszewski installed CCTV cameras in various locations around the house. Authorities were able to recover footage from these cameras which showed the sadistic beatings inflicted on Sebastian, who was described as “small for his age”. Although sickening to all who had to view the abuse, the recordings proved to be invaluable in helping to explain the multitude of injuries found on Sebastian’s body and secure justice.
In one video, bodybuilder Latoszewski could be seen unleashing an attack on Sebastian which lasted 30 minutes. During this time, the young boy’s wrists were restrained while he was kicked, punched and kneed over 100 times. His mother could also be seen watching TV and eating toast, appearing entirely unfazed by the violence being inflicted on her son.
Another tape showed Sebastian’s buttocks bleeding after he was brutally whipped with an electric cable, while on another recording he was forced to perform push-ups whilst being viciously attacked. He also endured having his head stamped on, as well as being beaten with a bed slat and stabbed in the groin and thighs with a needle. The physical abuse became such a regular and expected feature in Sebastian’s short life that he would hand the weapons to his abusers before an attack took place.
When questioned by police, both Kalinowska and Latoszewski began spinning a web of lies. They tried to tell authorities that Sebastian fell out of a tree shortly before his death, which turned out to be entirely false. When presented with the incriminating CCTV footage, both adults admitted to punishing Sebastian due to ‘constant bad behaviour’ but believed they were being reasonable and claimed they did not beat him excessively.
In stark contrast to his parents’ claims, Sebastian was described by his school teachers as a “model student” and “just a lovely boy”. Known as Sebba at school, he was remembered as “a shy, quiet boy but had a fun personality.” Another teacher recalled how he “looked sad but would always smile”.
During the six-week trial at Leeds Crown Court, jurors were subjected to video evidence of the sickening assaults, during which Sebastian’s cries could be heard. In a rare move, the judge presiding over the case has exempted the jurors from any future jury service due to the horrific nature of the evidence they had to witness.
Kalinowska sobbed as she viewed video footage of the attacks she co-inflicted on her own child. As court proceedings were finalised, she concluded her defence by arguing that she was scared of Latoszewski and did what he told her to do out of intimidation. Neighbours and teachers who encountered the stepfather also spoke of his cocky demeanour, but nobody ever saw any evidence to suggest that he was perpetrating child abuse behind closed doors.
On 22nd July 2022, both Agnieska Kalinowska and Andrezj Latoszewski were found guilty of Sebastian’s murder. They will be sentenced next month.
