Marek Lisiński, the chairman of the "Have No Fear" foundation that helps victims of paedophile priests has resigned from his function. "Gazeta Wyborcza" wrote that he is believed to have extorted money from a victim of a paedophile priest and demanded payment from Tomasz and Marek Sekielski, the authors of "Tell No One" movie.
According to "Wyborcza", on the 29th of October, 26-year-old Katarzyna - a victim of priest Roman B. from the Society of Christ Fathers received a message from Marek Lisiński, the chairman of the "Have No Fear" foundation in which he was asking her to lend him 30,000 zlotys for pancreas cancer surgery.
"Since last few months I've been treating pancreas cancer and an opportunity appeared for a cutting-edge surgery using NanoKnife method. I've collected more than a half already, I still need 30,000. I don't want to get involved in any fundraisers or thing like that because I'm trying to solve this problem on my own. Only my sons, one friend and now you know about this surgery. Hence my request: Would you be able to lend me 30,000? Of course, we'd sign guarantees. I will understand if you say no. I also wouldn't like this situation to affect our relations," wrote "GW", revealing the message sent, according to the daily, by Lisiński.
According to what journalists managed to determine, Lisiński is said to have sent the message "two weeks after the court granted Katarzyna 1 million zlotys in damages for being confined, beaten and raped 13 years ago by priest Roman B. from the Society of Christ Fathers".
"He came to my place and I gave him this money. 20,000 on a loan agreement and 10,000 as a gift. I couldn't sleep after he wrote me. The man who has done so much for us, for the victims, man who I trusted so much is terminally ill?" - Katarzyna told "Gazeta Wyborcza".
According to Thursday's article, Lisiński is said to have asked Katarzyna: "Let's keep it between us. It could tarnish my reputation". The woman started to get suspicious after she saw Lisiński giving interviews shortly after the supposed operation. "It made me wonder a little bit because a man suffering from pancreas cancer isn't able to funtion all that well," she told "Wyborcza".
When asked for photos of medical documentation, Lisiński is said to have sent 3 pictures showing a fragment of his body with 4 spots on his skin. He also wrote that he had "spots and changes in his body". To the same request but sent by "GW" on May 24, he replied: "I'm under no obligation to inform anyone about my health condition, as it is my private business".
According to "GW", Lisiński was supposed to be featured in the movie "Tell No One" about paedophilia in the Church but he was edited out after sending a text message to Tomasz Sekielski in February. As "Wyborcza" wrote, Lisiński demanded 50,000 zlotys: 25,000 for "Have No fear" Foundation and 25,000 for himself.
"We couldn't have agreed to that, as no other victim wanted any money from us," Sekielski explained.
The board of the "Have No Fear" foundation issued a statement that was also published in "Wyborcza". It was announced that on Wednesday May 29, during an extraordinary meeting called "immediately after receiving information about misconduct in actions taken by the Chairman of the Board", Marek Lisiński decided to step down.
"The board has secured funds on the Foundation's account and took all the necessary steps to maintain its everyday operations," the board members wrote.
The board also decided to "order an external audit in the Foundation, in order to ascertain that any actions taken by the former chairman as a private person hadn't affected the finances or operations of the Foundation".
Marek Lisiński commented on the matter personally. "Unfortunately, by my actions, I have failed the trust of the victims of priests who came to me for help, as well as of people in the Foundation's Council and Board who didn't know about the things I have done that undermine the good name and credibilty of the Foundation," he wrote in a statement. He also asked not to "associate his actions with the actions of the foundation".
"All I have ever done, I've done it in my own behalf. At the same time I declare that never had I used any funds from the Foundation's account for any of my private affairs or in any way against the statute of the Foundation," Lisiński added.
On Thursday, Marek Lisiński published another statement. He wrote on Facebook that he "never extorted any money from anyone". "If a loan agreement between two legal entities with a return deadline in December 2019 is an extortion, please judge for yourself. I have posted a video with a statement. Unfortunately, it was removed" - Lisiński wrote.
"Always the well-being of the Survivors was above all else in my life. I would never stand on the opposite side. The Foundation is the Survivors and not politicians," - he wrote.
Autor: gf / Źródło: TVN24 News in English, "Gazeta Wyborcza", PAP
Źródło zdjęcia głównego: tvn24