Indefinite hospital order for mum who killed son

Karolina Zurawska has been subjected to an indefinite hospital order for killing her six-year-old son

A mum with paranoid schizophrenia who killed her six-year-old son while believing she was being "instructed by a demonic force" has been given an indefinite hospital order.

Karolina Zurawska, 42, admitted the manslaughter of Aleksander Zurawski on the grounds of diminished responsibility, as well as the attempted murder of her 67-year-old father, Krzysztof Siwy.

Aleksander, who attended Whitestone Primary School, was killed at the family home on Cwm Du Close, Gendros, Swansea, on 29 August 2024.

The court heard Zurawska had previously been the "best mother" to her son, who was recovering from a brain tumour which left him partially sighted and requiring a cane to walk.

• Warning this article contains graphic details that some people may find upsetting

Judge Paul Thomas KC told Swansea Crown Court he was imposing the order not as punishment, but for "ongoing, probably lifelong, medical help".

"The often overused word tragic does not begin to reflect the awfulness of what happened on that day to Alex," the judge said.

"You adored each other and he trusted you."

Swansea Crown Court heard Zurawska killed Aleksander by using a hand saw to try and cut off his head.

The court heard it was the unanimous view of three very experienced consultant forensic psychiatrists that she was suffering a psychotic episode of paranoid schizophrenia at the time.

"It affected your mental state so greatly that it impacted your ability to understand what you were doing," said Judge Thomas.

"You were suffering from the delusion of hearing voices and you believe you were being instructed by a demonic force.

"You are not a wicked mother, far from it.

"You are a lady whose mental state deteriorated, I suspect under the overwhelming weight of your concern and care for Aleksander."

An inquest into the boy's death heard he was found by police officers with a "significant neck injury".

Det Insp David Butt from South Wales Police said paramedics and police officers were called to a property at Cwm Du Close on 29 August following concerns of people living nearby.

Officers discovered "a young child with a significant injury to his neck area and... blood loss", DI Butt added.

He said Zurawska was arrested at the property on suspicion of murder.

Det Insp Butt said a post-mortem examination was undertaken at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff where the cause of death was found to be a "complex sharp force injury to the neck area".

Aleksander was a kind, helpful and clever boy, his family said

On the day of the incident, Mr Siwy drove to the house, as he was concerned about his daughter, where she continued to act out of character, sitting on the hallway floor and speaking little.

Zurawska told her father that she needed to kill him, and tried to attack him with a knife.

Disarming Zurawska, Mr Siwy sat in his car where he spoke to his other daughter.

He and his daughter were concerned that reporting Zurawska for the attack would see Aleksander taken away and neither believed "whatsoever that she would harm Aleksander".

Zurawska came out of the house and attempted to attack her father again - in total, she attempted to stab her father three times.

Mr Siwy tried to take Aleksander with him but Zurawaska would not let him.

After driving home, Mr Siwy spoke to his daughter in Poland again, who urged him to return to Zurawska.

On the way to his daughter, he was overtaken by several police cars. Having heard the sound of screams, neighbours had called the police and Aleksander was found next to his mother.

On Friday, the judge told Zurawska: "Even if you do recover from this mental illness, the burden of what happened will always be with you."

He made a hospital order under the Mental Health Act and told Zurawska she would not be released from specialist psychiatric care "unless it is safe".

Det Ch Insp Matthew Davies said the case had a "profound effect" on the Gendros community.

In a tribute issued by South Wales Police, Aleksander's family described him as a "very kind child".

"He loved playing with his little sister and playing with his dog, Daisy," they added.

"Aleksander was always well-behaved and never naughty."

They added he was "very clever and mature for his age" and spoke in both English and Polish, "often correcting his parents with their English if they got words wrong".

Bethan Peterson, headteacher of Whitestone Primary School, called Aleksander "a delightful, determined little boy".

She said both staff and pupils were "devastated" by his death, adding that he had been "extremely loved and popular amongst his peers, staff and all who knew him".