A few days ago, we reported that “Gazeta Wyborcza” (Agora) was parting ways with Marcin Kącki, emphasizing that this was decided solely for editorial reasons, and not because of the sexual abuse allegations made against him by Karolina Rogaska.
Earlier this year Marcin Kącki described his life story in the article “My journalism – alcohol, failed therapies, unloved women, neglected daughters and fear of dawn” published in “Gazeta Wyborcza”, including: family trauma after the death of his older brother, demanding conditions of journalistic work and writing books, long-term alcoholism, health and family problems, as well as numerous relationships with women.
Then Karolina Rogaska, a journalist for Newsweek Polska, accused Kącki of omitting in the text a detailed description of how he behaved inappropriately towards her. – Indeed, I would probably accept a sincere apology for the HUGE harm that was associated with my lack of trust, the discussion of the subject in therapy and anxiety disorders. Marcin, if you were so honest in your text, why didn’t you directly write what you did to me and other girls? – she asked.
And he added: “Why didn’t you write that you treated my repeated NOs as non-existent, why didn’t you tell me that ‘you refuse now, and when you turn 30 you won’t be so picky and you’ll ‘fuck whenever you want’?” How did you think it was appropriate to strip me naked and masturbate despite my obvious terror? Disgusting behavior. DISGUSTING. I’m sorry to be literal, but I don’t have the strength to mince words anymore.
The Polish School of Reporting immediately broke off cooperation with Kącki. – A few weeks ago we found out that she had been hurt by Marcin Kącki. We removed him from working with PSR students and informed him about the reasons for this decision, she said.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office took over the case
According to our information, the Public Prosecutor’s Office has taken action in this case. – The process was initiated by a parliamentary interpellation by MP Paweł Jabłoński addressed to the Minister of Justice. The letter, through official means, was forwarded to the local Prosecutor’s Office on May 8, 2024, to be considered as a notification of suspicion of committing a crime – Piotr Skiba, spokesman for the Warsaw District Prosecutor’s Office, told Wirtualnemedia.pl.
– During the verification process, press materials were reviewed and an inquiry was sent to Agora SA (on May 17, 2024) and the Reportage Institute Foundation (May 17, 2024). The Foundation reported having no information about illegal behavior. Facebook posts were read. Agora SA gave a very generic and evasive response regarding ongoing internal processes regarding possible improper behavior by Agora SA employees – the prosecutor added.
On June 19th of this year left initiated an investigation into a crime under art. 191 § 1º of the Penal Code. This provision states: “Whoever, using violence against a person or an unlawful threat, forces this or another person to act, omit or endure a certain act, is subject to imprisonment for up to 3 years”.
The spokesperson admitted that “on the same day a decision was issued to demand the delivery of assets to Agora SA and copies of all documents relating to the internal explanatory process conducted in relation to the behavior described in the article entitled “My journalism – alcohol, unsuccessful therapies, unloved women, neglected daughters and fear of dawn.” This decision was a consequence of Agora SA’s response to the inquiry of May 17, 2024 and the need to identify possible other victims and witnesses.
Read also: Journalist moves from WP to PAP
Now SA has appealed the decision to demand delivery of the goods– Indicate that the requested documents are subject to legal, legal and psychological secrecy. The complainants pointed out that the above-mentioned proceedings The case is being conducted by a Commission consisting of a lawyer, legal adviser and psychologist (date of receipt: July 8, 2024). The complaint was forwarded to the Warsaw-Śródmieście District Court in Warsaw, says prosecutor Skiba.
Initial phase of the process
As of August 9 of this year, no one has been questioned in this case yet, but witness hearings have been planned. – The evidence collected so far does not provide grounds to bring any charges against anyone. The case is in its early stages. – concludes the spokesperson.
Marcin Kącki has been suspended from “GW” since January this year. Deputy editors Roman Imielski, Aleksandra Sobczak and Bartosz T. Wieliński said in a joint statement that “until Saturday’s entry by Karolina Rogaska, and later the statement by the Polish School of Reporting, no one in the editorial office of ‘Gazeta Wyborcza’ was aware that Marcin Kącki was accused by Karolina Rogaska of sexual assault and that he was suspended by the Polish School of Reporting.
In mid-January this year, Kącki responded to the accusations against him on Facebook. He assured that his relationship with Rogaska was not “an incident where Zwyrol assaults a woman.” – It is a story of two encounters. The first, at the Miedzianka literary festival in the summer of 2017, and the last, also in 2017, in the apartment where Karolina Rogaska lived at the time and where she had come from, and the course of this encounter was different from what was described, he said.
He added: “A number of pieces of content published about me in the last week suggest that there are other situations besides the case of Karolina Rogaska. There are no such situations and never have been. “Such information only fuels the spiral of hatred.”
