Publication date:
Abdul Wahab (35) has been told he will serve a minimum of 22 years of a life sentence after being convicted of carrying out a series of serious assaults against his five-year-old stepdaughter Nadia Kalinowska before murdering her on 15 December 2019.
Nadia’s mother Aleksandra Wahab (29) was sentenced to 11 years after admitting causing or allowing the death of her daughter and two counts of causing or allowing Nadia to suffer serious physical harm in the days leading up to her death and in the preceding months.
PPS Assistant Director and Head of the Serious Crime Unit, Ciaran McQuillan, said: “This deeply distressing case involved the murder of a helpless and vulnerable child at home where she should have felt safe and secure.
“The evidence gathered by the Police Service of Northern Ireland in a painstaking investigation included the results of a post-mortem examination and multiple medical reports that showed that five-year-old Nadia was the victim of gratuitous and sustained violence over a period of time. It is difficult to comprehend the level of violence that was inflicted on Nadia. Her injuries included multiple fractured ribs, a fractured pelvis, a fractured forearm and extensive bruising and abrasions. The violence eventually resulted in her tragic death in hospital from a fractured skull and severe internal injuries. The medical evidence paints a picture of a shocking catalogue of abuse that culminated in her brutal murder.
“Both defendants maintained throughout the case until close to trial that Nadia was injured accidently. This, the prosecution argued, was clearly a lie given the sheer number and magnitude of the injuries.
“Every murder is abhorrent, but this was an especially sickening and brutal murder of a young child.
“We hope the conclusion of this case brings some comfort to Nadia’s wider family circle and those who loved her as they try to cope with her death.”