Poland: Just Don't Tell Anyone

Written by David Fletcher 23 May 2019
Poland: Just Don't Tell Anyone

A survey showed that Poland's pro-EU opposition has a ten-point lead over the ruling nationalists ahead of European Parliament elections - a sharp turnaround that some analysts linked to a film about sexual abuse scandals in the Catholic Church. The documentary Just Don't Tell Anyone, which shows victims of child abuse confronting priests who had sexually abused them, has shocked Poles. The powerful Catholic Church has close ties with the governing Law and Justice party (PiS). The documentary has been viewed more than 18 million times on YouTube since it was released on 11 May. PiS has responded to public outcry by announcing tougher penalties for child abuse, but it has also stressed that the instances of abuse by priests should not be used as a reason to attack the Catholic Church. PiS sees Catholicism as a key element of Poles' national identity. Some say that the church is too powerful.

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