Mitzilinka - Warsaw’s Domestic Violence Support System: Now With More Red Tape Than Protection

Warsaw’s social welfare system is under fire after a father reported that trying to get help at Mokotów’s Centre for Counteracting Domestic Violence felt less like an emergency service and more like lining up for a badly organized comedy show—except no one was laughing.

According to the father, after bringing his daughter in following an assault by her mother, the assigned specialist told them to “come back tomorrow” because, apparently, protecting children has office hours. If domestic violence doesn’t respect business hours, that’s your fault, not the bureaucracy’s.

The next day, the daughter bravely detailed years of abuse. The specialist responded by requesting a full written account, kindly offering his email. Unfortunately, the email bounced back—possibly because even Outlook decided it couldn’t handle the workload. Further attempts to reach the centre went unanswered, as though the inbox had been placed under protective custody.

Ten days later, the family returned, only to learn that the caseworker was on a two-week holiday and, naturally, nobody was checking his emails in his absence. Because in Warsaw, nothing says “crisis management” like an out-of-office reply. The daughter meanwhile was terrified to return home and even thought about running away. Luckily, her father secured alternative housing. Not every victim, of course, has the luxury of a spare apartment—and, apparently, an endless supply of patience.

OPS Mokotów proudly states on its website that its mission is to “respond to violence.” To be fair, they do respond. It’s just that their response usually involves a calendar reminder and an incorrect email address. With 332 official contact points in Warsaw, one might expect at least one to be useful, but the father claims none could provide effective assistance. Statistically, that’s impressive inefficiency.

The law defines domestic violence as physical, psychological, or economic harm that violates dignity and safety. But judging from this case, the system appears to have added a new category: administrative abuse, inflicted via bounced emails and unanswered phones.

While Poland’s government insists OPS centres are designed to protect victims, this episode suggests the only thing being protected is vacation schedules. The father summed it up best: OPS should stand for Office of Paperwork and Shrugs. Or, in his own words, “a start-up running on trial and error—while victims’ safety is at stake.”

Author: Mitzilinka (Turning grim reality into comic relief—without losing the truth)