Life / Child abuse in Poland [64]

As a starting point do you think that Bishops and senior clergy who were aware of this scandal should be interviewed and charged with aiding and abetting or joint enterprise or maybe perverting the course of justice....or some related offence. It seems that despite the promised investigation not much is being reported on by the media which would at least provide the public with ongoing information.....what are the views of the church going public who have children....or have the Bishops responded with their side of the story....what do the prosecution service/police say about abuse in general and what knowledge on the child abuse scandal could they share with the public, even on a very limited level just to show that something is being done or has been done in the past or at least to provide some sort of reassurance that this is not something swept under the carpet and that it is being taken seriously....

Have any Bishops/senior clergy been interviewed by police and if so how many and do police expect to interview more...are criminal charges likely to arise. Are the prosecution service taking advice from established child abuse units in other countries....?

Life / Child abuse in Poland [64]

It would seem that the government has doubled the sentence for child abuse to 30 years.....however that's the easy bit....the difficult bit is to prosecute and convict the abuser.....so hopefully there are strong and robust measures in place for prosecutors and police to intercept and prosecute abusers....

Life / Child abuse in Poland [64]

Quite interesting listening to the Sejm today, as the politicians are debating pedophilia and the government speakers seem to be comparing child abuse with consenting homosexual adults....amazing...they really do not get it despite other speakers pointing out that PIS are clearly mistaken as to what abuse is....it would seem that they need to look up the definition in the dictionary....Strangely PIS seem to be supporting the idea of moving priests around if they are suspected of committing abuse and are in denial as to the extent of abuse....I agree with one speaker who said that priests should not be treated any differently than any other abusers.....it really is that simple..... The best way to deal with the abuse problem is not let the government get involved and instead appoint an independent all party committee to target abuse committed by priests......

Life / Child abuse in Poland [64]

It's very difficult to know exactly what is happening behind closed doors and unless there is transparency on how the church is organised in terms of its behind the scenes arrangements....including why children are unaccompanied when seeing priests, particularly in private or at different times or places etc. A lot of child abuse often thrives on disadvantaged children and maybe this needs to be investigated. It is absolutely unforgivable that abusers are moved around to avoid prosecution, identification or whatever.....this simple gives other abusers a passport to continue carrying out abuse....there is no deterrent and this will not change their interest in child abuse....it just simply moves the problem on to another region where they could reoffend.

Need to get tough....as Mr Duda has said...'zero tolerance' Finally what about the victims in these cases....they are completely affected and will have to deal with being abused for the rest of their lives....yes we need to deal with the abusers in the church with thorough investigations no stone unturned and complete transparency.... but also to provide support for the victims....ie. in giving evidence....psychiatric help....social care etc.....Maybe victims receive this sort of support already but it would be interesting and helpful if someone fully outlined the procedures in place for detection and support instead of seemingly vague statements made on TV news from people who are simply giving opinions. Much better to have concrete information on what is being done so that the public are reassured and have some sort of idea what is being done. Why isn't there a senior prosecutor appearing on the news who could set out what is being done, the extent of abuse and initiatives in place.

Life / Child abuse in Poland [64]

I think that there is more that could be done to supplement video evidence....a change in the law and the will to change the current status quo will make a difference.....it really comes down to how badly people want this abuse problem in the church to be sorted out...if you have the will to do things (such as government, police and the prosecutors office) then a lot can be achieved but everyone needs to be on the right side....if there is no will then progress against abusers it will never happen....

Life / Child abuse in Poland [64]

Some of the stories and accounts of child abuse are truly shocking......and whilst it is important to promote the ongoing incidents of abuse, I think there really needs to be a more meaningful approach to deterring potential abuse crimes......prosecutors and police together with the government really need to take a more proactive role.....focused attention on abuse....increased prosecutor powers.....and a review of sentencing for offenders.....in this way it will send out a message to others and a 'get tough' approach will eventually filter through and hopefully reduce the number of incidents and clean up the church.

The clergy do have a lot of influence and this of course can be used to persuade families and children to do things that seem normal but later turns out to be a way to abuse the innocent. There really needs to be no 'safe haven' for the clergy and those responsible for covering up their abuse crimes should also be prosecuted and sentenced for this crime....(I presume that harbouring or facilitating a criminal is a crime in Poland?)

Life / Child abuse in Poland [64]

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University speech on child abuse

I understand from the news today that a speech was made recently at a university in Poland on the extent of child abuse and alleged cover up by the church. The story focused on a priest/bishop who recently died and had now been accused of abusing a number of children in the past. It would appear from this speech that such abuse amongst the clergy in Poland is extensive and that the alleged abusers have been moved around different churches in an effort to protect them and prevent them being investigated and prosecuted. The speaker made it very clear that he would continue to give speeches in the future on this topic and seemed very determined to bring pressure on those in a position of authority to take action.

This seems to be quite a worrying situation and I just wonder what efforts the prosecution authority and police are doing to bring those abusers to justice. Are there prosecution/police units set up specifically to deal with child abuse? Are there any initiatives in Poland's legal system which focus on targeting abusers and bringing them to justice? I am also concerned that this cover up has been allowed to continue for so long (of course not unusual in child abuse) I haven't seen much about this on the news and it would appear to me to be something that should receive much more news coverage.

Could anyone throw any light on this story as it would seem to be an important issue and one which those in authority should be openly addressing....also I think that the general public must be horrified at the consequences of children being influenced by the clergy and I am surprised that so little has been reported on this, or perhaps I am mistaken.

Real Estate / Buying and renting an apartment in Poland (South-west of Wroclaw) [4]

cms neuf and Nathans ......

Thanks for your feedback on my post...your comments are appreciated.....there are of course a lot of things to consider....air quality seems to be much improved and not as bad as the Krakow area where I currently live.....all other information you have both provided is very helpful.

News / Schools in Poland to strike tomorrow [235]

It seems to me that the 500+ scheme is clearly beneficial to parents/couples having children but I wonder if this just encourages having babies to benefit from the payments..(not sure if this is the best way to increase the population...far better to improve the services so that people feel valued...)..I also wonder where this money is coming from and how long it can be sustained....It could be argued that there are other sections of society who are more deserving....perhaps social issues, for example improving the health system which in any society is essential if Poland wishes to provide a professional, efficient and caring service to those in need....Perhaps also financing infrastructure projects to supplement European funding...and financing increased regulation on rubbish dumping/clearance of rubbish, such as can be found in forests and ditches which is my view is unforgivable and a blot on the landscape.....

How on earth is Poland going to attract tourism (because of course there is so much to offer in Poland) if the countryside is full of rubbish and dogs on the loose.....I do wonder when the PIS are going to put their money where there mouth is when it comes to improving the lives of their citizens....will it be this year...next year....year after...? It doesn't seem very transparent and clear when listening to the news on TV..... Financing the 500+ project is short termism and unlikely to last so do the recipients of these payments realise this when it comes to voting in the forthcoming elections or will they blindly vote for PIS just to keep the payments they now rely on..? I have to agree that teachers do deserve a pay increase and also deserve more respect and understanding...It is said that there are good and bad teachers but of course this is the same in all professions....what I think needs to be understood is that teaching is an essential part of providing a stable educational starting point for students who are starting out in life.....Further teaching development training and more pro-active management support, would go a long way to address poor performers ..

Finally perhaps this spare cash could be spent on encouraging people to steer away from using coal for heating and making it user friendly for people to use gas or at least a cleaner fuel..(500 zl per family for fuel payments should go a long way...)....if money is being spent to encourage people to use cleaner fuel, it is not happening quick enough...they need to try harder....

News / Schools in Poland to strike tomorrow [235]

Yes that's correct I am a Brit......

News / Schools in Poland to strike tomorrow [235]

As an private English teacher I do have sympathy with main stream public school teachers. There has already been talk in this posting about the lack of creativity from teachers and I can say that like all teachers throughout the world, it is a necessity to be creative when planning lessons. It is fair to say that like any business there are good and not so good employees and this also applies to teachers. However be careful when judging teachers as I am sure there are many other professions/businesses who employ many no hopers and unproductive employees whose only objective is to work as little as possible for the salary their receive.

Not only is it necessary to plan and create lessons for students (often outside teaching hours and late into the night) that are stimulating but they need to carefully plan the delivery and timings of such lesson plans which can be difficult. In addition there is the added pressure of dealing with difficult and challenging children/students who so quickly make the lives of teachers stressful and are resistant to any form of encouragement or help offered. I am sure there are many more issues which are equally important and relevant to the current strike but unless you are a teacher it is really unrealistic to know how teachers feel and how difficult life can be when teaching. For teachers to earn as much as a KFC employee is obscene and a disgrace.

The public know that the teaching profession needs to employ the best teachers to ensure that students receive the best possible education to prepare them for life. It is right to say that there are good and not so good teachers. Perhaps increased regulation of teaching ability needs to be improved and new ideas, approaches adopted. In this way teachers can develop their skills further and add value to their current skills set. Money is not the sole solution to quality and improvement but teachers do deserve an increase in salary to bring them up to and exceed the salary of KFC employees...! At the end of the day teachers are the foundations on which a progressive society is based on and should be respected and rewarded where necessary. Like any business, teaching will positively progress if the right approach is used to develop and equip teachers with the right tools.

I only hope that my comments help to show some of the difficulties experienced by teachers.

News / Man Charged in Escape Room Deaths in Warsaw, Poland [8]

This is of course a complete tragedy for the families involved.....and must be terrible for them to comprehend the events....

It does seem to be a situation as other posts have mentioned that there were little or no regulation checks made.....so first of all there should always be health and safety inspections made for this type of business or for example food outlets. If checks were made then clearly the person/team responsible haven't been thorough enough. Consistent regulation is really the key here and whoever is responsible for public safety should really step up their game and as a priority ensure that businesses like this are consistently regulatedto prevent this tragedy from happening again. (I suspect that it will happen again, maybe not with an 'escape room' but probably with a club, disco, etc)

Like the terrible standard of driving on the roads or people burning plastic there appears to be little or no regulation and there is no excuse for non regulation. (I've never seen police target and stop a driver for driving dangerously close to the back of another car/lorry as frequently happens....perhaps they have but perhaps not often enough because bad driving still continues...perhaps it will take more deaths on the roads for someone to do something)

Whichever government department is responsible for overseeing health and safety inspections really need to improve their game.....training perhaps...looking at other countries to see how they do it....greater accountability....etc. I know that someone has been arrested and not sure what the current situation is.....nevertheless people should really turn their attention and focus on the people who are paid and responsible for health and safety inspections...these people are the ones who should be in the spotlight...lots of news stories about the man arrested but nothing on the health and safety inspectors....perhaps this will happen soon......take accountability if you can...!!

News / Poland blocks any action on climate change [569]

I think that there is really big point missed with all the discussions about coal reserves lasting 200 odd years, etc etc....and this is the effect that coal burning (and plastic rubbish) has on the population. I would like to see statistics on what percentage of the population suffers from breathing related conditions, asthma, cancer etc as a result of the toxic fumes and smoke produced by burning coal. This to me is the hidden scandal behind the use of coal and it doesn't matter how much the government support the burning of coal or renaming it as eco groszek, there is a real health hazard which I suspect is costing millions in medical treatment and reduced life expectancy.

The dangerous pollution levels created by burning coal are invisible and I think that if you could actually see it people would put more pressure on government to change things. Yes it is a cheap option for heating but sadly Poland needs to catch up with other countries who could see the health hazards associated with burning coal many years ago. I suspect that the real reason is that the government are protecting the coal industry to save jobs, keep their votes etc. They need to have the courage to change things. Think of the money that could be saved on medical bills.

UK, Ireland / Mixed feelings after moving from Poland to England [36]

Just to put the record straight, certain squads in the British police force are armed and operate in various situations. I think you will find that a high percentage of the public in the UK are reassured by the fact that not all police officers are armed and that they can rely on special units with armed officers to deal with particular situations. I think the UK public do not want to encourage a rise in gun crime by arming all police officers but having certain armed police units is really seen as sufficient support. At the end of the day the UK do not really want to see a situation arise such as in the USA where gun control seems to be out of control and where the gun lobby is an all powerful body preventing any attempt to reduce the sale of arms or make meaningful changes to gun law. In short most people in the UK do not want to see a situation arise where the general approach is 'my gun is bigger than yours'....its just asking for trouble. London is experiencing a rise in knife crime and some other areas and I can see that something needs to be done about it.....giving police officers guns is not really in my view the most effective way to supress crime, but would only serve to inflame it. As for British police 'finally growing a pair' I think you will find that they are respected worldwide for their professionalism and work under difficult circumstances.....these are brave and respected police officers who 'grew their pair' a long, long time ago.

Life / Settle in Poland, which city is best? [30]

If your pension is a civil service pension then you will have it taxed in the UK....as others have said if you have a state pension from the UK it would be taxed in Poland.

News / How will BREXIT affect the immigrants in UK and Poland. [1114]

johnny reb....


I actually thought the forum was for people living in Poland but if people can access it from different countries then that is fine...Is there a forum for people living in Poland....I am thinking of the AngloInfo business which provides information such as business set ups, selling/ buying property or personal items, advertising local events, forum for sharing ideas/information on living in a particular country, general information for anyone living or arriving in a particular country which helps them to settle in etc...

Thanks.....

Real Estate / Planning permission - buying a house in Poland [7]

Delphiandomine........Thank you for your advice on this matter...I tend to agree with your response and tempting as it is, in the future it may come back to bite me if the paperwork is not legalised and be expensive to put right if that is possible. Thanks again.

Real Estate / Planning permission - buying a house in Poland [7]

Thank you Atch for your helpful knowledge on this issue.....I agree that it is up to the seller to apply for the correct paperwork.....and yes I think using a solicitor is a sensible course of action or indeed an escrow account.....I thought about placing a fee with the estate agent to reserve the property, in an amount of 2000zl....I think that either the owner wants to know about my commitment to the sale or that the estate agent wants to secure a sale by pushing through signing of a first contract (there are two agencies selling the property so I guess that our agent wants to secure a sale before the other agency receives an offer from someone who is not worried about the paperwork....

Law / Poland's ZUS/NFZ payments for businesses [27]

Yes it is a question of how you replace lost revenue to ZUS but to be honest I would leave that to the politicians to work out. At the end of the day I am sure there are other ways to collect the lost revenue, and with small/large businesses no longer penalised with high ZUS/NFZ costs it would encourage entrepreneurs to set up businesses. As a result businesses would have better conditions in which to work in and would continue providing more choice to the consumer and go a long way to improving the economy.

It just needs the will of government to introduce a fairer system and realise the benefits of increasing the number of businesses. Successful small businesses grow into large businesses and continue to create jobs, revenue etc....but they need the right conditions.

Law / Poland's ZUS/NFZ payments for businesses [27]

My thought was to look at ways to encourage entrepreneurs/small businesses to set up a business be it small or large. In having a system of ZUS/NFZ business payments which is fair and based on earnings rather than just a set fee, would in my view help the Polish economy and so on. At present there is very little incentive for people to set up a business with such high ZUS/NFZ costs....I believe that small businesses are essential to improving the economy....the alternative is to sell goods at the market, which for some people is not something they wish to do and with limited returns and travel costs etc. I don't believe that big businesses are the only way forward.

Work / Proofreading - What is the going rate in Warsaw? [40]

O WELL
Thank you for your posting, it is much appreciated.

Work / Proofreading - What is the going rate in Warsaw? [40]

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Proofreading rates?

Would anyone know what the rate could be for proofreading documents. I have been asked for a quote per 1800 characters with spaces. In time my proofreading job took me about 90 minutes for a page and a half. I have read historical postings on proofreading but just wanted to know what the most up to date rate could be and what is reasonable.

News / Coal-Powered Poland Refuses to "Go Green". EU Ain't Happy. [304]

Smog kills tens of thousands of Poles each year, yet environmental activists say the right-wing government of the coal-loving nation has been dragging its feet on combating air pollution. Millions of Poles heat their homes with often low-quality coal, which is the main source of air pollution ahead of cars and industry. The European Environmental Agency meanwhile blames air pollution for an estimated 50,000 premature deaths per year in the country of 38 million. While PM10 particle pollution is considered dangerous in Poland from 300 micrograms per cubic metre, the threshold is 80 micrograms in France.

I think that there are some valid points made from the above extract and yes 'the investment is worth it now'.... The extract really sums up the key issues which I feel are the ones the responsible government minister needs to address....whether he/she will is just a matter of time...in the meantime the people continue to live and breathe coal dust with the obvious consequences.....I cannot imagine how much it is costing Poland in healthcare relating to breathing conditions, cancer, etc

Of course people will say it will take time for change to take place but then again if the government really wanted to do something positive and long lasting they could.......no good talking about budgets etc, they could find the money to make changes as they have done from other initiatives such as the weekly 500 zl programme for family planning. At the end of the day the government will be judged on their performance....whether it is their strength or feebleness in doing something constructive for the Polish people.....

News / Coal-Powered Poland Refuses to "Go Green". EU Ain't Happy. [304]

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When will coal become a thing of the past......

This has probably been the biggest cover up ever, and to think that some people actually believe that burning coal is ok for the environment and people.....how wrong they are....do they not know that burning coal is incredibly bad for the environment, it is cancerous, causes all sorts of long term breathing problems, is terrible for people with breathing problems and generally really bad....time to end it I think....or is there someone who will try to convince us all that coal is good for everyone including the environment...just look at the smog and what its doing...it is so dangerous...and is a disgrace.....the government should be ashamed that it just hasn't bothered to do anything about it and really don't want to be seen to be doing anything for the people. Sad really as I thought the PIS were for the people..

News / Israel opposing potential new Polish law to criminalise term 'Polish death camps' [1538]


Ok thanks for the history behind this new law it is helpful.....so maybe it is predominately about compensation and how the new law could on one hand address the Polish concerns and in doing so cause difficulties and future changes to the payment of compensation....

News / Israel opposing potential new Polish law to criminalise term 'Polish death camps' [1538]

I am still unsure why after 60 years did the government feel it necessary to pass this new law.....has something really happened to make this all necessary and do the majority of people in Poland want this. There doesn't appear to have been much widespread discussion on this topic prior to the new law, so why was it necessary to introduce it?

It does seem to have stirred up a hornet's nest of discussion, accusations and shouting backwards and forwards.......I am not sure if the PIS really envisaged this backlash and probably regret their actions now. I think there are probably many other laws the PIS could introduce to address the needs of the Polish people but haven't yet. Unfortunately this will dominate politics for some time I am sure, which will of course push other important issues into the side lines.