Pictures on TVN, but nothing in sexual harassment accusation says Iwinski
During the Friday session of the European Union (EU) summit in Barcelona,
the Secretary of State in the Prime Minister's Office, Tadeusz Iwinski, was
seen affectionately treating Magda Fitas, the interpreter of the Polish
delegation, by embracing her and stroking her on the buttocks. The incident
was filmed by television cameras and the pictures aired by television
station TVN on Friday. "I expect the plenipotentiary for the equal status of
men and women, Izabela Jaruga Nowacka, to take an interest in the incident
and investigate if this is a case of sexual harassment," Wieslaw Walendziak
from the Law and Justice (PiS) party told Zycie. Iwinski said that his
gestures were only of a friendly nature. "The accusations are absurd. I am
spontaneous, and I use my hand gestures a lot and we have known each other
for several years. Even my wife knows there is nothing in it," he said.
"Professor Iwinski was embracing me, and saying something in my ear. We've
known each other for a long time. We do not talk at a two meter distance.
Professor Iwinski did not do anything indecent," commented Fitas. (Zycie, p.
4; Gazeta Wyborcza, p. 9) A.Z.
