The Polish government plans to set up an independent
commission to inquire into cases of paedophilia and their handling by
institutions, including the church, according to a statement released
Tuesday.
A bill on the matter was approved by the cabinet, but still requires
parliamentary approval and the president's signature.
The seven-strong commission would be charged with identifying cases
of negligence in combating paedophilia and alerting law enforcement
in cases they believe the law has been broken.
Investigations will cover state institutions, churches, NGOs as well
as educational, sport, healthcare and cultural institutions, the
statement said.
Poland's government has acknowledged the lack of a comprehensive
system of combatting sex crimes and shortcomings in the handling of
paedophilia inquiries in the past.
The new commission will be independent from state authorities.
Members of the commission will be selected by parliament, the prime
minister, the president and the state children's ombudsman.
Candidates are to be submitted by expert bodies, including national
chambers of physicians, psychologists, attorneys, prosecutors as well
as NGOs.
The Polish debate on paedophilia resurfaced in May, following the
publication of a YouTube documentary in which victims talked about
sexual abuse at the hands of priests and accused the church of
covering up the crimes.
Since then, the government has presented an amendment to the penal
code that, among others, introduced stricter penalties for crimes of
paedophilia.
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