Correction to the article from Gazeta Wyborcza entitled “They beat because he is a stranger.”
The law firm, acting on behalf of its clients, has requested that Gazeta Wyborcza correct the article, which you can find here.
As an attorney for Dmytro S. and his parents, Valentyna S. and Yuliya S. [nazwiska zastrzeżone wyłącznie do wiadomości redakcji], I declare that the article under the titles “They beat because he is a stranger” and “In a Poznan school they beat a Ukrainian boy who escaped from the war” by Tomasz Nyczka is not based on the truth. It is not true that the boy was bullied so that he was afraid to participate in school life, and in particular it is not true that he was regularly attacked, harassed or bullied by his peers, and that the negative behavior of other students was xenophobic in nature. It is also not true that the minor Dima fled the war or grew up in a region directly affected by the war.
Dmytro’s parents deny that their son suffered any persecution because of his origin or inferior Polish language skills to his peers. The children of Yuliya and Valentin S. are satisfied with their stay in Poland and the schools they attend. They have close contact with their peers, with some of their peers they become friends, and with others they get into conflicts, like any human being (not just a child). It is also not surprising that imperfect Polish language skills can make it difficult to interact with peers. Anyone who went to school knows very well that functioning in a peer group is a complex, dynamic and not easy process. There was indeed a conflict between my clients’ child and another boy, which was singular and insignificant and, above all, had long since been resolved. What’s more, Dima mates with the boy with whom the dispute occurred, and the parents of both boys cooperate with each other, the educator and the school, which positively demonstrates the maturity of all parties.
In light of the above, the poetics of the incriminated material and the blatant suggestion that the school community and the educational system inflict harm on a child because of his nationality, as well as any mention of “hunting,” “harassment,” and “persecution,” are unacceptable. If that were the case – I would be the first person who about the problem
would notify the relevant entities and demand justice and stigmatization of xenophobic attitudes. Unfortunately, in this case, the author’s hopefully laudable intentions have completely and grossly mismatched with the facts and the voice of the most important people in the story, namely Dima and his parents.
As a lawyer, I have been supporting Mr. and Mrs. S. from the moment they decided to permanently move to Poland, raise their children here, run their business and pay taxes here. They are very satisfied with their life decision. They have experienced a lot of kindness from Poles, both in offices and in connection with their business, as well as in their daily lives. They are impressed by the efficiency of the Polish state and the country’s economic life, which can be difficult for most Poles to comprehend. It was never the intention of my clients to introduce any antagonism related to their nationality, and the theses of the incriminated article are incomprehensible to them. I regret to say that this kind of journalism can only lead to the creation of conflicts, increasing – excusez le mot – click-through rates, but not reflected in reality.
It is regrettable that the author of the article did not contact Dima’s parents, which cannot be reconciled with the principles of fair journalism. Mr. and Mrs. S. had no knowledge that an article concerning their child was about to appear in the newspaper. Without their will or knowledge, my clients became the subject of a violent dispute about refugees, discrimination, etc., although the facts show that the case does not fit into this discourse. I am sorry to say that your editorial board has not given any thought to how the article will affect the boy’s situation at school, and whether, by chance, the parents are not the ones who know best how to raise their children wisely and how to deal with difficult situations at school, without causing a media sensation.