More Poles than not agree with Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki’s stance on reinstating the death penalty for the most serious crimes, a recent poll by United Survey for the Wirtualna Polska news portal has revealed.
The case of 8-year-old Kamil from Częstochowa, who suffered abuse leading to his tragic death, sparked renewed discussion on the reintroduction of the death penalty in Poland. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has strongly advocated for stricter punishments and expressed his belief that the penalties for violent offenders are currently too lenient.
In mid-May, Morawiecki emphasized the need for significantly harsher penalties for “monsters capable of intentionally taking another person’s life,” and maintained his support for reinstating the death penalty for crimes involving extreme cruelty and premeditation, despite its abolition in Europe.
In the survey, people were asked about Morawiecki’s opinion. The question was: “After the death of 8-year-old Kamil from Częstochowa, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki stated that he is personally in favor of reinstating the death penalty for the most brutal criminals. Do you agree with the prime minister’s position?” A total of 48.3 percent of respondents responded positively — 33.9 percent chose the answer “definitely yes,” and 14.4 percent chose “probably yes.”
[pp id=61071]
On the contrary, 46.3 percent of respondents disagreed — 11.3 percent selected the answer “probably not,” and 35 percent chose “definitely not.” Only 5.4 percent of respondents were not certain or found it difficult to answer.
Eight-year-old Kamil was hospitalized in April due to abuse inflicted by his stepfather, and despite the efforts of the doctors at the Child Health Center in Katowice, his life could not be saved during the 35-day battle.
The child had suffered severe injuries several days before being admitted to the hospital. These injuries included burns to the head, torso, and limbs, as well as fractures. The boy’s mother, who allegedly witnessed the tragic events, did not react. As a result, she has also been charged.
The last death sentence was carried out in Poland on April 21, 1988, in the Montelupich prison in Krakow. The convict was 29-year-old Stanisław Czabański, who had been found guilty of brutally raping and murdering a woman and attempting to kill her two daughters.
Any attempt to reintroduce the death penalty would set Poland on a collision course with Brussels and would mean denouncing EU treaties.
