The fine stems from a widely criticized in Poland press conference where Szymczyk publicly shared excerpts of a phone conversation between a doctor and Joanna, a woman from Kraków in southern Poland, who had undergone a medication abortion.
The case was detailed by the Kraków edition of the Polish daily Gazeta Wyborcza.
Police intervention and privacy breach
In response to a medication abortion and subsequent contact with her psychiatrist due to mental health concerns, police intervened. At the time, Jarosław Szymczyk was serving as Police Chief - the same individual who, in mid-December 2022, gained international attention after a grenade launcher explosion in his own Police Headquarters office injured himself, an officer, and damaged the ceiling.
Lawsuit filed for abuses
Joanna from Krakow, who was hospitalized in July 2023, reported being brutally treated by police during the intervention related to her medication abortion, a case widely covered by the media.
In response to these reports, then-Police Chief Szymczyk held a press conference where he disclosed Joanna's private details - including her psychiatric treatment and financial status - in clear violation of GDPR regulations, according to the head of the Data Protection Office (UODO).
Feeling victimized by these actions, Joanna has filed a lawsuit seeking 100,000 PLN in damages, with the case to be heard in a Krakow court.
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Source: Gazeta Wyborcza/TVN24/X/@Bart_Wielinski