In Poland, court sentences Bishop Jeż to two years of restricted liberty — Interia

The District Court in Tarnów, Poland, found Andrzej Jeż, bishop of the Tarnów Diocese, guilty of failing to report to law enforcement crimes committed by two subordinate priests. As Interia reports, the court imposed a cumulative sentence of two years of restricted liberty.

For each of the two incidents, the court imposed one year and six months of restricted liberty, but ultimately set a cumulative sentence of two years. It provides for a monthly deduction of 25% of his work remuneration in favor of the Fundacja Dajemy Dzieciom Siłę.

Charges concerning reporting to law enforcement

The prosecution stated that the bishop, having information about alleged sexual abuse of children under the age of 15 by two priests from his diocese, delayed reporting it to the authorities. Church authorities eventually filed reports concerning priests Stanisław P. and Tomasz K., but investigators believed this happened too late.

The prosecutor requested that Jeż be sentenced to 10 months in prison suspended with a three-year probation period and a fine of 20,000 zlotys. The defense insisted on an acquittal. The bishop himself did not admit guilt, citing a lack of clarity in criminal law provisions and the circumstances of the specific cases.

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The defense position and related cases

In the case of priest Stanisław P., Andrzej Jeż referred to jurisdictional doubts, as, according to him, most of the priest's actions took place in Ukraine. Regarding Tomasz K., he claimed that for a long time he did not know that there were persons under the age of 15 among the victims.

The case concerning Stanisław P. was discontinued in 2022 due to the expiration of the statute of limitations. Proceedings against Tomasz K. are ongoing at the District Court in Nowy Sącz. According to Interia, the cases involving the two priests concern several dozen victims.

Interia calls the trial the first court hearing in Poland involving a serving diocesan bishop accused of delayed reporting of possible crimes by priests against minors. Criminal liability for failing to report, among other things, pedophilia when reliable information is available was introduced in Poland by a law of March 23, 2017.