Syrian-born gynecologist from Zabrze, identified as Monzer M., has been found guilty of raping and committing other sexual acts against his patients. The indictment listed 26 victims. The man is currently serving his sentence in prison. A court bailiff is now responsible for enforcing compensation for the women, but they are receiving merely a few dozen zlotys each. Seizing the doctor’s assets and the bailiff’s actions turned out to be insufficient. In prison, he earns around 200 zlotys a month, which is then split proportionally among all the victims.
Even though many years have passed since Monzer M. was arrested, the ordeal of the women he raped and sexually exploited is far from over.
“We feel powerless. We were supposed to get compensation, but these are scraps, and he wasn’t ordered to pay interest, so he’s just toying with us. We can’t sue him for non-payment either, because the deposits are coming in. It’s a joke. We’re being humiliated and degraded all over again,” one of the women told Fakt.
“In my case, the first payment was 900 zlotys—probably because the convicted man got a tax refund. Then there was nothing for a long time because he wasn’t working. And for the past few months, since the fall of last year, we’ve been getting just a few zlotys at a time. I was awarded 5,000 zlotys. Originally it was 10,000, but the amount was reduced on appeal.”
District Court in Gliwice Reduced the Sentence
In 2022, Monzer M. was sentenced to 11 years in prison. He also received a 15-year ban on practicing as a gynecologist and obstetrician. The verdict is final. He is currently serving his sentence at Prison No. 1 in Strzelce Opolskie.
Lower Compensation
In 2022, the amount of compensation awarded to the victims was reduced compared to the initial ruling. Each victim was awarded sums ranging from 5,000 to 8,000 zlotys.
“The amount of compensation resulted from the motions filed during the proceedings and was determined by the criminal court in accordance with its assessment of the direct consequences of the crime. This does not preclude further civil action,”
says Judge Tomasz Pawlik, spokesperson for the District Court in Gliwice.
Renowned Doctor, No Money for Damages
It is worth noting that after the gynecologist was arrested, part of his assets was seized to cover future penalties. However, this proved insufficient.
“Compensation is enforced upon request from the victims via bailiff proceedings, and the ruling serves as the enforceable title. This enforcement is carried out by a bailiff at the Zabrze District Court, Ms. Agnieszka Ziemska. There is also an ongoing case before the Zabrze District Court, filed by the debtor’s wife and daughters, concerning the bailiff’s actions in initiating enforcement. Attached to the complaint is an agreement dated December 6, 2018, on the partial division of the couple’s jointly owned property, as well as a marital property agreement from the same day. The debtor was represented by his brother in these agreements. The complaint has not yet been reviewed,”
adds Judge Pawlik.
This suggests that the bailiff cannot proceed effectively because the gynecologist’s wife and daughters claim that the seized assets do not fully or partially belong to Monzer M. The doctor owns only one-third of the plot of land on which the home he lived in before his arrest stands.
“It seems that the outcome of the enforcement proceedings partly depends on the bailiff successfully seizing movable assets. In this respect, we are awaiting the decision of the Zabrze District Court,”
says the spokesperson for the District Court in Gliwice.
Applications Against the Wife Dismissed
The Fifth Division for the Enforcement of Criminal Sentences also handled cases in which victims sought to have the verdict declared enforceable against the debtor’s wife. These motions were dismissed.
The convicted man has taken a job in prison, earning just over 200 zlotys a month. That amount is divided among all the victims, resulting in only symbolic payments.
“Minister Bodnar Must Step In!”
“This case should be handled by Adam Bodnar, the Minister of Justice and Prosecutor General. We’re talking about rapes in Zabrze; the case speaks for itself—this is simply outrageous. The ruling that awards such low compensation to the victims should be thoroughly examined to ensure the bailiff’s actions are all in accordance with the law. The minister has the tools and authority to investigate this. He must get involved,” says Michał Wójcik, Member of Parliament from Law and Justice (PiS) and a former deputy minister of justice.