Polish media council rebukes Sakiewicz over Kraków square reporting

In brief

• The Council of Polish Media criticised TV Republika head Tomasz Sakiewicz for suggesting police were absent from Kraków's Main Square after the attack.
• Footage showed an officer behind him, and the first patrol reportedly intervened within seconds.
• The attack on 7 November killed six people and injured 15; Kaczyński and the Interior Ministry spokeswoman have also reacted.

Media council condemns broadcast remarks

The Council of Polish Media (Rada Polskich Mediów) said that Tomasz Sakiewicz's comments during live coverage from Kraków were unacceptable. He had suggested that police were missing from the scene because reserves had been moved to Warsaw. The council argued that a tragedy should not become fuel for a political dispute (Rada Polskich Mediów Reaguje na słowa Tomasza Sakiewicza. "Niedopuszczalne wykorzystywanie tragedii" – Interia Wydarzenia).

Police presence disputed

The council stressed that two officers were seriously wounded while detaining the attacker and one is still fighting for his life. Sakiewicz defended his reporting, calling the reaction to it an unprecedented campaign and saying that he had been the first journalist to report from the square, where he had noticed no police (Sakiewicz odpowiada na zarzuty ws. relacji z tragedii w Krakowie. "Bezprecedensowa nagonka, rozpętano piekło" – Wirtualnemedia.pl).

Other reactions

Jarosław Kaczyński, leader of Law and Justice, backed Sakiewicz and said the public had the right to ask whether the city had been adequately secured (Oburzenie po słowach Sakiewicza. Kaczyński wziął go w obronę – Wirtualna Polska) (Jarosław Kaczyński staje w obronie Tomasza Sakiewicza. "Mają prawo pytać" – Dziennik.pl). Ministry of Interior spokeswoman Karolina Gałecka responded that information about the tragedy should come from police and official channels rather than from a television station (Rzeczniczka MSWiA odpowiada Jarosławowi Kaczyńskiemu. "Opowiada pan bzdury" – Onet). Media experts said the coverage amounted to political exploitation of the tragedy and called for consequences and a correction (Sakiewicz relacjonował z Krakowa. Medioznawcy: to działanie szkodliwe dla państwa – Wirtualna Polska). Complaints have reached the National Broadcasting Council (KRRiT).

Background

The attack took place on Saturday, 7 November, on Kraków's Main Square, when an assailant drove onto the square and opened fire. The attacker, a 24-year-old man, died early on Monday, 9 November. Sakiewicz's remarks were also rebuked by the head of his own station's publisher, who said that police officers had acted heroically and no one at the channel criticised them.