Paweł Kostowski does not believe that his film is an attack on the Church; rather, it tells an abridged version of the story of the woman who underwent exorcisms.
“Various comments do appear,” says Paweł Kostowski. “I believe it is difficult to call a film that begins with a non-ironic quotation from John Paul II anti-clerical. The film has been structured in such a way that it does not contain everything. In my opinion, it is a much milder form than all the circumstances described in the text (published on egzorcyzmypolskie.pl—editor’s note),” the filmmaker adds.
During the interview, Paweł Kostowski describes what happened but was not included in the film.
“The protagonist of my film was raped by a lay volunteer at a church-run center,” the filmmaker answers when asked about the protagonist’s fate. “Witnesses were questioned, and the prosecutor’s office did not bring [oskarżanemu o gwałt mężczyźnie – przyp. red.] charges, so under the law he is innocent. I cannot say that someone was raped, I cannot provide the perpetrator’s name, I cannot provide the name of the priest who tried to cover it up, and I cannot provide the place where it happened. I understand that when there are no witnesses or material evidence in a rape case, in view of the good served by the presumption of innocence, we cannot convict the accused. That can be understood, but the circumstances of this situation point to highly dangerous practices within the Church: there is no protection, no prevention, only systematic cover-up,” Paweł Kostowski adds.
In response to the fact that the prosecutor’s office discontinues investigations involving people connected with the Church, Grażyna Hanaf cites the story of a mother from Bolesławiec who, solely on the basis of her daughter’s rape allegation, was deprived of her liberty for three months; the case is currently pending before a court in Jelenia Góra.
We encourage you to listen to the full interview with Paweł Kostowski.