Child abuse in Poland

Do Polish parents abuse their kids more than in other western European countries? Is there a problem? Discuss please.

Define abuse. Physically, verbally, or neglect. I don't think it's any different in other countries. Maybe nowadays, parents "let the kids go" way too much.

Every parent is different. Some Polish parents raise their children very well, others don't.

You need to define abuse.

I meant more of the slapping around the kids kind of abuse. We can include verbal abuse here as well. Aren't Poles more "hands on"?

When I was in Poland I noticed how well behaved and mature the children were as compared to British kids. Canadian children are quite badly behaved and spoiled, also have no respect for their parents. My Dad settled in England after the war and was disgusted at the way the British slapped their kids around. Growing up in a polish community I never saw a child getting hit in a polish home but saw it lots of times in the English ones. The british schools were also full of bullies and Im not talking about the kids.

I think it does, especially at the hands of people over 60yrs.

I live in an area full of chamski old people, and lot's of nice cars get scratched because of these twats.

Scratching someone's car is just the same as child abuse, and battering baby seals.
Shame on old people!

i guess they do. specially children who have alcoholic parents. verbal or physical abuse when they grow up, and then they abuse their spouse in the same way as their parents did.

so many alcoholics in poland.

I'm very sorry to hear about that Eva. But I do think that you would be mistaken if you attributed your parent's atrocious behaviour on them being Polish: after 18 years of living in both UK and England, I'd say that Poles are pretty much exactly as likely to be unfit parents as Brits are.

Almost all small children are smacked during the first three years of life when they begin to walk and to touch objects which may not be touched - worldwide. Most people tolerate this blindly because the origins of human violence in childhood have been and are still being ignored - worldwide. Beaten children very early on assimilate the violence they endured, which they may glorify and apply later as parents, in believing that they deserved the punishment and were beaten out of love. They don't know that the only reason for the punishments they had to endure is the fact that their parents themselves endured and learned violence without being able to question it.

-Alice Miller

I never smack my children as they are well behaved and the raising of my voice is all thats needed other peoples kids yeah i besat the cr@p out of them if need be

I was wondering how the country of Poland feels about this.

The Catholic Church is allegedly telling newly ordained bishops that they have no obligation to report child-sexual-abuse allegations to law-enforcement officials, saying instead that the decision to take such claims to the authorities should be left to victims and their families.

"According to the state of civil laws of each country where reporting is obligatory, it is not necessarily the duty of the bishop to report suspects to authorities, the police or state prosecutors in the moment when they are made aware of crimes or sinful deeds," his document states, according to a citation in the Guardian.

msn.com/en-us/news/world/catholic-church-tells-bishops-they-are-not-obliged-to-disclose-child-sex-abuse-report/ar-BBpnzm4?li=BBnbfcL&ocid=U348DHP

I would have thought that in any civilised society anyone with knowledge of a crime having been committed is obliged to report that crime to the police. To do otherwise could be seen as concealing a crime, aiding and abetting a criminal, or at least failure to protect a minor.

Isn't that perfectly reasonable and obvious?


No, you wouldn't if you would consider what it means for a second you wouldn't be writing in such a way that indicate your prejudice and bias.

Yes, you are right. I am biased and prejudiced against people who abuse children, and those who protect the perpetrators.

Should look into your colleagues then - teachers are more like to abuse children than priests contrary to your misinformed and prejudiced mind.

In what way am I misinformed?

In a way that make you write what you have written in the post number 14. Why would you think that such a post is needed here if not for your prejudices and opinions formed on misinformation about RCC you have been fed.. Either that or you are unable to read a simple texts with comprehension.

I'd reply to that if I had any idea what it meant.

Merged:

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.

It's certainly not unreported - there are stories in the papers or on TV most days and the biggest film of last year dealt with the issue. It will however take years for the full story to emerge - the current govt is heavily intertwined with the church but previous governments also did not do much to address the allegations

There is a new documentary on YouTube - been up for a few hours and was already watched by more than a million people.

@cms neuf
Over four million now - about 30 hours after it was released.
"Tylko nie mów nikomu"

youtu.be/BrUvQ3W3nV4

I was really anxious before watching it - couldn't sit in front of the computer to see it so I just listened. And it was shocking. The stories were heart-breaking. Isn't it obvious that someone sentenced with pedophilia shouldn't work with kids? That moment when you heard that the mother wouldn't believe her son and didn't react even when he stopped eating. The lack of action on part of those in charge. The excuses they gave - like the priest who would say it was ok for a priest with a valid criminal record to conduct a service because it was HIS chapel.

Yes - as is the case in a lot of schools, there should be video cameras inside the churches, but that will never happen. There would be less lucrative cases for the state and its' lawyers.

If my daughter has a son there is no way she will be letting him anywhere near those blighters, until there is video surveillance.

@Dougpol1
There's always a way to avoid cameras.
They didn't do it in church. It was often their room/car or they would take the kids on 'holiday'. You don't put cameras in someone's room or car.

As terrifying as it is, it may happen everywhere. But as soon as it's reported and they're sentenced with the crime, they just MUSTN'T work with kids ...

I was hoping that the husband would stamp on the old mans' head. The tempatation must have been there. But there is no justice. Stay away from an archaic religion as much as you can that still insists on celibacy. In this sexualised world that is never going to be in any way "normal."


Yes. Very true.There is a no through road in Olkusz (Czarny Las) where my pal had a country cottage. As isolated as the Jura Krakowska gets. The woodland property 200 meters away was all boarded up but well tended every time we went there.

I asked my pal who owned the property (some business person..?) With a grim amused smirk on his face, he said, "Oh no, that belongs to the church. That's where the priests bring their boys". If we were playing poker I would have put my money down to see his cards, as he was a joker. Only we wasn't bluffing that time.

The authorities have not only failed the children, they have also failed every decent priest who has to deal with a lot of (in the individual's case) unearned hostility and scrutiny. There are many clerics who use their free-time to help unpriviliged children, by organizing group activities and other events. And they must now live with an everlasting suspicion.

Good people. Unfortunately, like the police, priests and school teachers should by rights be wearing body cameras some day in the not too distant future. Full accountability.

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?)

It's not going to happen. Not until, as I suggested, through video evidence, an independent police force can bust the church door down. That's the power of a catholic country for you. They really do believe they are above the law, and actually are.

The usual platitudes from Kaczynski and the church:
nytimes.com/reuters/2019/05/12/sports/12reuters-poland-church-abuse.html?searchResultPosition=5