On Wednesday, December 12, at the Dochas Center prison, an annual meeting was held for women serving life sentences (“lifers”).
For each woman imprisoned in such cases, it was an opportunity to meet the three closest people. A common dinner, a longer conversation, a nice time.
Until three hours of sight. From 13 to 16.
At several tables there was a nice and cordial atmosphere.
The friends of Krysia, Mariusz and Rafał came to meet with Marta this year.
Friends who live in Ireland.
Everyone, including Marta, are well dressed.
Unfortunately, nobody from the family came from Poland.
That was agreed with Marta.
What was different from last year?
Better food.
And Mrs. Governor Mary O’Connor exceptionally kind.
(The same Mrs. Governor, who broke the 4 Sunday prisoners 3 days earlier without spending a pass on the Altenatives to the Violence Project Christmas Dinner)
Mrs. Governor was very nice.
She sat down at each table for a moment and talked to everyone for a moment.
Marta thanked Mrs. Governor Mary O’Connor for the very good preparation of a special dinner and for the fact that she could have been at this special dinner.
And what has not changed?
… Discrimination of Marta …
Everyone could give presents to their loved ones …
Everyone … just not Marta …
Friends did not expect anything from Marta.
But this situation is unpleasant for Marta herself.
She likes to share with others, she likes to give gifts to others …
Only after a symbolic little thing for friends …
Unfortunately…
The meeting was very briefly commented by one of the participants, one of Marta’s friends – Mariusz (in Polish language):
Lately Martha doesn’t even check whether someone is booked for visit or not.
Will anyone of her friends will come or not?
She doesn’t check, she doesn’t wait.
Does this mean that she accepted staying in prison?
Absolutely not.
She knows, she’s imprisoned wrongly.
She’s very active and she supports her family in the fight for her freedom.
Recently, one of her friends, that come visit her regularly, left for a short period of time.
Other friends couldn’t come to visit Martha also.
As a result, no one came to Martha for some time.
The family asked Martha how she handles herself.
Martha said, that she “undersands, that everyone has their families and their businesses. Nobody has to do the sentence with me…”
That’s why she stopped checking if someone comes. She stopped looking forward.
The visit of every person, who wishes to spend one’s time and money, to get to Martha. To get to Martha from different places in Ireland (not only from Dublin).
Every such visit becomes very nice and very pleasant surprise for Martha.
Martha is grateful for every such visit, and she thanks everyone from the heart.
She doesn’t look forward, she doesn’t force.
She understands.
She’s grateful, and she thanks…
May 29, 2016. A trip with friends to Wicklow Gap. A month before the trial
Special dinner held on 8th of december 2017 showed how much truth was in earlier media reports about “alleged” friendship of Martha in jail.
In previous reports media have “chosen” a friend for Martha.
It must have been a person with maximum sentence, who committed a terrifying crime.
Additionaly, something in common was searched for, e.g. east european origin.
How truthful those reports were, showed the behaviour of those present on special dinner on 8th of december 2017.
On one side of the table, 6 women sentenced to lifetime imprisonment with their relatives, then few chairs of break.
On the other end of the table – Martha and 3 people close to her.
The journalists who wrote about friendships made by Martha in jail should see this view.
Martha was associated with people, who commited extremely shocking crimes.
Examples of information about Martha’s friendships:
In prison, in which Martha is now, she has no enemies and she doesn’t seek friends.
On thursday, Martha was visited by two of her friends.
Martha’s friend left small presents for Martha, gathered by kind people, who learned about the visit.
Those gifts were brought by the Irish women.
Thank you very much.
While delivering the gifst, Martha’s friend asked when Martha will receive those things, she was told they will be delivered in the evening.
Martha’s friend also paid €100 to Martha’s account (one time payment limit to the account is €120).
Martha, on the other hand, left gifts for her friends at the reception: a scarf made of yarn, which she made herself for one friend and a surprize for the other.
On the reception the officer said with a smirk, that Martha can not hand over anything from prison.
From today, one of the largest television stations in Poland – TVN – will be filming next part of the “TVN Uwaga” story in Ireland.
The reportage will be realized by the editors of “TVN Uwaga” and “Superwizjer”. Recordings will be held in Arklow and Dublin.
We invite every person, who has new, not yet disclosed information, and are ready to come to Arklow or Dublin, as well as friends of Martha and Csaba, from today until friday, 17th of november.
Please inform us by sending email to: contact@helpformartha.org or kontakt@pomocdlamarty.pl
On 25th of october 2017 we sent an email to television stations and newspapers in Ireland:
“Dear Sirs
For over four years now Irish media publish reports on events related to tragic accident involving Marta Herda, in which the passanger of the car died.
All this time all reports were one-sided: they came from the prosecution or the family of the deceased.
