Prosecutor Piotr Kosmaty discusses the behind-the-scenes work of the prosecutor's office, responsibility for the indictment, and the realities of conducting the most challenging investigations in Poland. We discuss media pressure, emotions when working with suspects, and whether prosecutors truly "interrogate murderers."

My guest is Piotr Kosmaty, a prosecutor involved in, among other things, the Jarosław Ziętara disappearance case. In this episode, we discuss investigative errors, lengthy proceedings, and why some cases return to the media years later.

This is a conversation about power, responsibility, and the fine line between truth and evidence.

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00:00:00–00:01:35 – Start.
00:01:36–00:16:23 – What does a prosecutor really do?

00:16:24–00:24:15 – What does the path from crime to interrogation look like: what must happen “along the way”?
00:24:16–00:33:59 – Why did the Ziętara case return after decades, and why is testifying so risky after all these years?
00:34:00–00:43:43 – Is this job frustrating: when you “know how it was,” but can't prove it in court?
00:43:44–00:53:35 – Does “pure evil” happen: encountering someone without empathy and without inhibitions?
00:53:36–01:01:19 – Is motive necessary for a conviction, and how often is money behind a crime?
01:01:20–01:04:39 – Does a prosecutor fear for his life when he touches influential people and large groups?
01:04:40–01:16:55 – Does media pressure help in investigations, and when does cooperation with journalists save a case?
01:16:56–01:25:03 – What does the “other side of the coin” look like: miscarriages of justice and the fear of destroying an innocent person's life?
01:25:04–01:27:04 – What would Piotr tell young prosecutors: the law as a tool for humanity or “a letter without reason”?