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320 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2013
At the end of May 2003 another pedophile ring was uncovered, involving the abuse of boys who were members of the Polish Nightingales choir. In mid-June, Wojciech K., the director and conductor of the now-defunct choir Polskie Słowiki (Polish Nightingales) was charged with pedophilia and was sentenced to eight years in prison. After the term he would not be able to work with children and teenagers for six years. According to the court, from 1992-98 Wojciech K. had sexually abused three minors-members of the choir. He molested them on foreign and domestic tours made by the choir, and on several instances in Poznań. The court found Wojciech K. guilty of at least a dozen cases of sexual abuse in relation to each victim. Wojciech K. was apprehended in June last year, a few minutes before one of the choir's rehearsals, on the grounds of testimonies provided by former choir members. The lawsuit was brought to court in mid-January and the case was heard behind closed doors. Early in February, the defendant fell ill and was admitted to a Poznań clinic. During a two-month adjournment, newspapers reported that the conductor was HIV-positive. The police found numerous pornographic videos in the conductor's apartment, including those involving children. The parents of the boys could hardly believe what they heard, but the prosecutor stated the evidence of the crimes was indisputable. (70)This story was made possible by the communism. In the then Polish People's Republic, going abroad was difficult, and due to idiotic exchange rates even the lowest sum in dollars was a very significant aid to the home budget. Parents - even the former choir boys who experienced sexual molestation in their time - would push their sons into the choir because that would mean both the opportunity to go abroad for the boys, and the dollars.