Milan court sentences man to 10 years for partner's death

The Milan Court of Assizes has sentenced Marek Konrad Daniec, a 43-year-old Polish truck driver, to 10 years in prison for the preterintentional homicide of his partner, former Belarusian ballerina Hanna Herasimchyk.

Herasimchyk was found dead in her apartment in Pozzuolo Martesana on June 13, 2024. While Daniec was initially accused of intentional homicide, the charge was modified to preterintentional homicide after medical experts concluded the cause of death was myocarditis.

Judges described the couple's relationship as “toxic,” characterized by frequent violent arguments and increasing frustration. The court noted that Daniec was aware of Herasimchyk’s fragile state and her struggles with alcohol, yet he chose not to end the relationship despite the escalating conflict. The 10-year sentence represents the minimum penalty for the crime, as the court took into account the defendant's state of “exasperation and frustration” and his attempts to resist provocations during their disputes.