After publishing the article A stalker dangerous to women from the Bolesławiec area is still at large, in which we collected the stories of women who had been harassed online for years, more women contacted our editorial office.
One of them, who has been harassed periodically by an aggressor for eight years, wonders whether he could be the man described in the article.
– He uses similar phrases and was among my acquaintances – the woman says. – I have already reported the matter to the police, but during the interrogation I noticed that I was not being taken seriously. The police did not track him down – she adds.
We provide the women who contact us with basic information about documenting all acts of harassment and notifying the prosecutor’s office of the crime.
Specialists from Fundacja Feminoteka are also very helpful, providing victims with legal advice and psychological support. It is important that this assistance is free of charge.
The inaction of law enforcement authorities causes outrage
In the comments and messages, we also received many statements from people disappointed by the incompetence of the police and prosecutor’s office in this case. Former police officer and istotne.pl columnist Leszek Socha openly expressed the view that criminals have a paradise in Poland.
– I read the article about the stalker harassing women with attention – says Leszek Socha. – This article made a huge impression on me. You have no idea how deeply I understand people who fall victim to online criminals. I am also terrified by how skilled such criminals are at information technology and how much the Polish state disregards this problem. It is obvious that law enforcement authorities and the justice system cannot cope with catching such criminals and punishing them – says Socha.
Leszek Socha has his own experience of being harassed and defamed online and unfortunately has experiences similar to those of the women we wrote about.
– Years ago, I myself fell victim to this kind of weapon, namely hate and harassment by an anonymous person or group of people – Socha says. – At the time, I, the victim, was told to provide the legal basis for prosecuting the criminal. On a website someone set up specifically for me, I was humiliated and people were even encouraged to attack me. The lack of response from law enforcement authorities encourages or signals to haters that they are above the law. People have simple expectations that those in power carefully ignore: people want to go to the doctor and be properly attended to, go out into the street and feel safe, go to the police and be listened to seriously, take a case to court and hear a decision before the end of their lives. It is banal, but that is not what happens – Socha adds.
Leszek Socha wants to draw the attention of members of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland to a citizens’ bill concerning Public Lies and Official Accountability. He believes that the lack of appropriate regulations is causing Poland to be divided, while an increasing number of people fall victim to online hate.