A Polish court ordered the return of two young children to their parents after a dispute involving the Ombudsman for Children’s Rights, Monika Horna-Cieślak, who faced criticism for excessive pressure on the judiciary and alleged ethical violations.
The Warsaw court ordered police to return two children to their parents following a highly contentious intervention by Monika Horna-Cieślak, the Ombudsman for Children’s Rights. The court criticized her for using great personal involvement and institutional pressure to remove the children from their home, citing a decision that it deemed disproportionate and harmful to the family.
Court Criticizes Ombudsman’s Actions
The court’s ruling highlighted Horna-Cieślak’s direct communication with the judge handling the case, a move the court described as rażąco nieproporcjonalne
(grossly disproportionate). A family law judge, Tomasz Bac, told Onet that the Ombudsman’s actions risked undermining judicial independence. If we have a hammer, it doesn’t mean we should hit everything in sight, Bac said, emphasizing that the Ombudsman had bypassed formal legal procedures by contacting the court directly rather than filing a formal request.
The court’s decision was rooted in the Ombudsman’s claim that the children were placed in a crisis centerafter a police search of their home uncovered two beers. The judge called this justificationcurious,noting that such a minor finding should not justify separating children from their parents. If I took every family where alcohol was found, stadiums would turn into care homes,Bac said, underscoring the court’s view that the Ombudsman’s intervention wasdeeply harmful to the family.
Political Fallout and Calls for Removal
The controversy has sparked political backlash. The Law and Justice Party (PiS) and Konfederacja have submitted a petition to remove Horna-Cieślak, accusing her of excessive media activity and overstepping her role. Konfederacja politician Sławomir Mentzen called her a “witch” in a social media post, claiming she caused the children’s removal just because her colleague was rightly insulted on the street by their mother.
However, opposition MP Adrian Witczak also warned against toleratinginflammatory rhetoric from politicians, stating,There should be no tolerance for such behavior in public debate.
Conflicting Accounts and Legal Context
However, the court's decision emphasized that the Ombudsman had not followed proper legal channels, instead using her position to pressure the judiciary.
The case also revealed broader tensions.
The political petition to remove Horna-Cieślak could escalate, with PiS and Konfederacja seeking parliamentary action. However, the court’s sharp critique of her conduct raises questions about the Ombudsman’s role in balancing child protection with judicial independence. As one judge noted, Even in sensitive cases, we must avoid causing greater harm by acting out of emotion. The outcome will likely hinge on whether the Sejm views her actions as a breach of ethical standards or a necessary intervention in a complex family dispute.