A model who had acid thrown over her by her stalked has told how she is reclaiming her life and her confidence after years of medical treatments.
Katarzyna Dacyszyn, 46, was disfigured in an attack by her neighbour in 2016 after she filed charges against him for harassment.
At a hearing at the court house in Łódź, Poland, Robert W., who was facing three years in jail over the charges, lunged and threw sulfuric acid over her.
The former model and designer suffered burns on 25 per cent of her body and more than 80 per cent of her face, Polish media reports.
More than eight years after the attack, she is now sharing her story, hoping to raise public awareness of the issue.
She became socially active and has been sharing photos of herself wearing makeup and enjoying life, looking as confident as ever, in hopes of inspiring other victims.
Katarzyna, now an advocate for victims of stalking, told followers on social media: ‘Every nightmare, no matter how long and terrible, eventually comes to an end.
‘The best thing you can do for yourself is to fight for your goals and dreams. They don’t have to be grand for the world—let them be grand for you.’
Polish model Katarzyna Dacyszyn, 46, poses in undated photo. She suffered chemical burns after her stalker, Robert W., poured sulphuric acid on her in Lodz, Poland, in August 2016
Polish model Katarzyna Dacyszyn, 46, being treated in hospital in undated photo
Katarzyna required dozens of surgeries, including skin grafts, laser treatments, and months-long hospital stays
The former model and designer suffered burns on 25 per cent of her body and more than 80 per cent of her face, Polish media reports
‘What matters is determination, perseverance, consistency, and faith,’ she told her followers. If you ever doubt yourself, I am here as your guide on this journey.’
Katarzyna today works on behalf of stalking victims and runs workshops for women affected by violence.
She has also shared her experiences in the 2019 book ‘The Woman with the Scar,’ co-authored with Irena Stanislawska.
Katarzyna suffered terribly damaging burns to her face, eye, chest and torso in the August 2016 attack.
She required dozens of surgeries, including skin grafts, laser treatments, and months-long hospital stays.
Sadly she did not fully regain her eyesight, according to Plejada.
Her stalker went on to be charged with attempted murder, and was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
Since the incident, Polish laws against stalkers have been tightened, and security measures in courts have been significantly increased.
Katarzyna suffered terribly damaging burns to her face, eye, chest and torso
Katarzyna continues to document her progress with followers online
Sat at one end of the corridor, she was checking her phone when suddenly ‘I saw a jar of liquid in front of my face and heard a terrifying voice,’ she told TVN24
On International Women’s Day this Saturday, she shared a photo of herself in the Polish senate calling followers to ‘stand up against abuse, neglect and violence’.
Over the years, she has documented her progress on Instagram, describing all of the difficult procedures she has undergone in her ‘fight to regain my former appearance’.
Local media reports that she was a lingerie designer and model, leading a ‘well-organised life’ and happily in a relationship before her life took a turn.
She received the first message from her stalker in 2005. Believing it to have been sent in error, she blocked the number.
‘My intuition told me I was in danger,’ she later recalled.
The man reportedly lived in the same block as Katarzyna, and pursued her on social media even after she blocked his number.
The stalker then began posting defamatory allegations about his victim online, harassing her with emails and texts.
Katarzyna took the difficult decision to take the case to court in 2016, where she brought evidence against her neighbour.
She later told TVN24 that she ‘didn’t feel safe at all’ on the day.
When she came face to face with her attacker at the local district court he attacked her with sulfuric acid.
Sat at one end of the corridor, she was checking her phone when suddenly ‘I saw a jar of liquid in front of my face and heard a terrifying voice,’ she told TVN24.
She said the pain was ‘like I’ve never experienced before’.
Katarzyna today works on behalf of stalking victims and runs workshops for women affected by violence
Sadly she did not fully regain her eyesight, according to Plejada
Local media reported that the attacker had brought a coffee cup filled with the corrosive liquid into the courthouse.
According to the Office for National Statistics, one in five women (20.2%) in the UK have experienced stalking at some point since the age of 16.
The same can be said for 8.7 per cent of men, the ONS reported late last year.
An Ipsos UK survey commissioned by Metro and published this month found that a quarter of Brits know a woman or girl who has been a victim of domestic abuse over the past 12 months.
Two in five women (39 per cent) knew a woman or girl victim of sexual harassment, per the survey of 1,092 participants, asked in January.
