Contributed by: Agnieszka Mrozik, Poland National VAW Monitor

Zbigniew Piekarkski is no longer the head of the Department of Social Affairs in Łódź Provincial Office. He was also expelled from the Law and Justice party.

On January 16, journalists from “Gazeta Wyborcza” wrote an article in which they described how 47-year old Piekarki, a graduate of theology and member of Law and Justice, listening for hours to Catholic Radio Maryja in his workplace, abused office workers through obscene text messages. Piekarski’s chosen ones were two unmarried subordinates.

“He started from ‘hot kisses’, then got down to the brass tacks” – the office worker showed the journalists the text messages she received from Piekarski: “Hello. Do you mind having sex without strings?” – this is what Piekarski wrote in one of them. “Then he bacame more insistent. He asked if he could lick me, he dreamt of my [---]. This was disgusting. I was embarrassed and felt badly because of this situation.”

Piekarski abused his subordinates for a year, though they asked him to stop.

Commenting on the whole case, Piekarski said that “this was a kind of game for the most juicy text message.”

Then he admitted that it was a mistake and he had already confessed his sins. The same way he attempted to convince his superiors from the seat of voivode who demanded explanations after the article in “Gazeta Wyborcza” had been published. Without result.

“Mr. Piekarski was dismissed from his post” – said Sławomir Przybyłowicz, the spokesman of the Łódź voivode. “On account of the article in “Gazeta Wyborcza,” we also brought disciplinary proceedings against him.”

Piekarski was also expelled from Law and Justice. “He behaved abominably. The party decided to expel him from its structures” – said Jarosław Jagiełło, the MP and the leader of the Łódź branch of the party.

Piekarski said that he will sue “Gazeta Wyborcza.” He added that he is not going to appeal against the decision of the local authorities of Law and Justice.

Compiled from: Marcin Kwintkiewicz, Marcin Masłowski, Za obleśne SMS-y wyrzucony z PiS i zdegradowany w pracy, „Gazeta Wyborcza”, last access January 21, 2007; unofficial translation by Agnieszka Mrozik