Criminal notification regarding Kononowicz recordings following Polsat News investigation and anti-patostreamers law
A criminal notification has been filed with prosecutors concerning YouTube channels publishing recordings featuring Krzysztof Kononowicz. The case is based on new anti-patostreaming regulations passed in June 2026.
Notification regarding Kononowicz recordings filed with prosecutors
Łukasz Wójcik, a resident of Białystok, has filed a criminal notification regarding the possible commission of a crime in connection with the activities of YouTube channels publishing recordings featuring Krzysztof Kononowicz – according to Interia. Wójcik, who has been publicising the case of Kononowicz's exploitation in online materials for years, accuses the channel owner of profiting financially from content in which the man was reportedly humiliated and ridiculed.
The case concerns channels operating under the names "Mleczny Człowiek", "Mleczny Człowiek Archiwum" and "Mleczne Shoty" – currently one of them operates as "Krzysztof Kononowicz Archiwum Mleczny Człowiek". The channel contains hundreds of recordings, including material containing vulgar and degrading content.
According to the filed notification, the practice allegedly lasted from the beginning of 2020. The channel creator, operating in Białystok and via the internet, allegedly published recordings featuring Kononowicz in order to achieve financial gain. Among the reported content were vulgar statements, mockery concerning the man's state of health, and insulting comments read in his presence.
RadioZet.pl recalls that the channel owner in published statements denied previous accusations of exploiting Kononowicz for money, insisting that he and his collaborators were helping the man and that they were linked by relations of friendship. Krzysztof Kononowicz died in 2025.
New anti-patostreaming regulations as the legal basis
The notification was filed based on regulations passed by the Sejm in June 2026 as part of the so-called anti-patostreaming law. The amendment to the penal code introduced criminal liability for disseminating online content infringing on personal rights, depicting violence or degrading treatment of another person – even if it occurs with their consent. This carries a penalty of up to three years imprisonment.
Stricter sanctions were provided for material depicting persons below 18 years of age – the penalty may range from three months to five years imprisonment. The new regulations mean that patostreaming is prosecuted under the rules provided for other internet crimes. Reports may be made by both private individuals and institutions or organisations.
Work on the legal changes was contributed to, among others, by a debate initiated by the Polsat News series "No to patocelebrities". In autumn 2024, the station's materials drew attention to the scale of patostreaming and its consequences.
Separate prosecutors' investigation into abuse
Interia indicates, citing RadioZet.pl, that the notification concerning patostreaming is a separate matter from the investigation conducted by the District Prosecutor's Office Białystok-South. Proceedings in the case of suspected abuse of Kononowicz were initiated following the appearance of recordings that could indicate improper treatment of the man. The investigation covers the period from December 2022 to March 2025.
Prosecutor Adam Baranowski, quoted by Polish Radio Białystok, previously emphasised that the proceedings are not limited to persons indicated in the notifications.
"We are not limiting the subject matter of the proceedings solely to them; it will be a broadly-based investigation and I do not exclude the possibility that the circle of entities that could potentially be considered as perpetrators of this act may be expanded," Baranowski said.
The prosecutor also emphasised that the case is complicated and requires conducting many evidentiary activities.
Source: Interia