In a statement published on Monday afternoon by the editorial office of “Gazeta Wyborcza”, it was recalled that the commission established in January this year by Agora dealt with the accusation of sexual abuse against Marcin Kącki by Karolina Rogaska. – The findings contained in the report on the work of this committee, as well as its recommendations, in accordance with the rules applicable in the Agora Capital Group, will remain confidential, but they did not influence our personnel decisions – it was noted.
At the request of Marcin Kącki, the team of “Gazeta Wyborcza” carried out its own internal verification activities regarding the circumstances of the creation of Kącki’s text, after which Rogaska accused him of abuses.
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– The results of the editorial committee’s work were presented to Marcin. Since we differ significantly in their assessment, we jointly decided that our further cooperation was not possible. The reason for ending the cooperation is solely editorial issues. – emphasized the editorial office of “Gazeta Wyborcza”. Its statement was signed by deputy editors Roman Imielski, Aleksandra Sobczak and Bartosz T. Wieliński.
Marcin Kącki on “lies and fantasies” about harassment and mobbing
On his Facebook profile, Marcin Kącki emphasized on Monday that over 20 years of work at “Gazeta Wyborcza” were his “best adventure of life”. – I don’t remember the first text, but I will certainly not forget the last one, “My Journalism…”, which was a tribute to his friend Ewa Wanat, and a literary warning against the extremes of cultural wars. Many saw a hidden meaning in it, an inability to say sorry, narcissism – I understand, cultural revolutions need to defend their dogmas, but I will stick to mine, forever – he declared.
– I am also certain that “Wyborcza” will be even more empathetic without me, more sensitive to these wars and social revolutions, more careful in formulating literary phrases, something I will probably never learn, hence our decision to part ways – he noted.
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Kącki also responded to allegations and suggestions made against him regarding inappropriate behavior towards women. – It is also impossible, after such a commotion, to erase the unnecessary words and nervous reactions. Too many people have tampered with the cesspool valves and spilled them between me and my newspaper to be able to cross this moat – He admitted.
– In our decision to separate there were no reasons that you could read about in lies and fantasies on social media – harassment of colleagues from the editorial office, mobbing, violent behavior, exploitation of the superior’s relationship, because there was no such behavior on my part – assured the former “GW” reporter.
He announced that now he is going “to court to fight with people who wanted to make a name for themselves by manipulating these septic tank valves and one thing makes me happy – they are going to court with facts and evidence, not with insinuations and likes, which will be at least surprising for many, if not very unpleasant”. He did not provide any specifics, but added that he would soon post more information on his profile.
Marcin Kącki described relationships with women, Rogaska’s allegations
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At the beginning of January this year, Marcin Kącki described his life story in an extensive article entitled “My journalism – alcohol, failed therapies, badly loved women, neglected daughters and fear of the dawn” published in the Saturday-Sunday issue of “Gazeta Wyborcza”, including family trauma following the death of his older brother, the demanding conditions of his journalistic work and writing books, long-term alcohol addiction, health and family problems, as well as numerous relationships with women.
– I liked the company of women, because I felt safe with them, taken care of, because all my heroes are male demons of destruction, and I have never met bad women, and almost always badly loved, also by me. They adopted me or went to bed with me, comforted me, told me to get treatment or fuck off, and that was usually a good idea – he said. Kącki noted that he has been in a stable relationship for seven years, and as a result of psychotherapy he contacted some of his former partners to explain his earlier behavior and apologize.
On the day of the text’s publication, “Newsweek Polska” journalist Karolina Rogaska accused Kącki of omitting from the text a detailed description of how he behaved inappropriately towards her. – I would probably accept a sincere apology for this HUGE wrong that was associated with the lack of trust, with discussing the topic in therapy, with anxiety disorders. Marcin, if you were so honest in your text, why didn’t you write directly what you did to me and other girls? – she asked.
– Why didn’t you write that you treated my repeated NO as if it hadn’t happened, why didn’t you say, as you threw at me, that “now you refuse, and after you’re 30 you won’t be so picky anymore and you’ll fuck however you want”? How did you consider it appropriate to undress and masturbate despite my obvious horror? Disgusting behavior. DISGUSTING. I apologize for being literal, but I don’t have the strength for half-words anymore – she described
The Polish School of Reportage immediately severed its cooperation with Kącki. – A few weeks ago we found out that she had been wronged by Marcin Kącki. We removed him from working with PSR students and informed him of the reasons for this decision – she informed.
“Gazeta Wyborcza” suspended Kącki
The deputy editors of “Gazeta Wyborcza” Roman Imielski, Aleksandra Sobczak and Bartosz T. Wieliński in a joint statement informed that Marcin Kącki has been suspended, so he will not work with other “GW” journalists.
They also added that “until Saturday’s entry by Karolina Rogaska, and later the statement of the Polish School of Reportage, no one in the editorial office of ‘Gazeta Wyborcza’ was aware that Marcin Kącki had been accused by Karolina Rogaska of sexual assault and that he had been suspended by the Polish School of Reportage”. When submitting the text, Kącki did not inform anyone about the above facts, “thereby abusing our trust and that of the Readers”.
– As a result, the editorial office of “Gazeta Wyborcza” published his “confession” unaware that it may have a hidden meaning – a preemptive justification for one’s own misdeeds – added the deputy editors. The following day, Marcin Kącki’s article was removed from the “GW” website.
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Marcin Kącki In mid-January, he responded to the allegations made against him in an extensive Facebook post. He assured that his relationship with Rogaska was not “an incident in which a scoundrel attacks a woman”. – It’s a story of two meetings. The first, at the literary festival in Miedzianka, in the summer of 2017, and the last, also in 2017, in the apartment where I lived at the time and to which Karolina Rogaska came, and the course of this meeting was different than described – he stated.
– Numerous contents about me published over the last week suggest that there are other situations than the case of Karolina Rogaska. There are not and have never been such situations. Such information only fuels the spiral of hatred – assured Kącki.
In his opinion, his colleagues from the editorial office of “Gazeta Wyborcza” knew that he was preparing an article about his life, “and if they expressed doubts, it was because of the reception of the topic in the context of strong emotions related to women’s fight for their rights.”
Wirtualnemedia.pl asked about Agora’s actions in this matter in mid-June. – The investigation is ongoing, and Marcin Kącki is still suspended. I have nothing more to add to this matter at this time, Anna Marucha, the company’s corporate communications director, told us.
