The first trial in Poland of a bishop who allegedly covered up pedophilia in the church has started
In court on Wednesday, the bishop of the Tarnów diocese, Andrzej Jeż, apologized to all people molested by priests. The hierarch was accused of reporting these crimes to law enforcement authorities too late.
The bishop of Tarnów, Andrzej Jeż (agreed to give his full name – PAP), appeared in court for failing to immediately report the pedophile acts of two priests. The priest pleaded not guilty, arguing that in both cases law enforcement authorities had information about them. Giving his explanations, he emphasized that “pedophilia in general, and especially in the Church, is reprehensible and should be fought against with all determination.”
– This is a difficult experience and the Church must deal with it in order to be purified and be a credible witness of the Gospel. All injured people must be respected. I regret that this is happening, it was happening, the bishop said before the court. – In all messages and statements I regret and apologize to all the people harmed and other people who suffered because of this, often families – he added.
The hierarch assessed that Wednesday's trial is the result of a paradox because – as he stated – he is responsible for reporting cases of pedophilia. – Paradoxically, I am accused of zeal – he said.
Referring to the allegations, he explained that he was subject to two legal orders – church law and civil law, and after the information before the canon court was credible, he reported the cases to the law enforcement authorities.
He emphasized that the issue of pedophilia cases itself was dealt with by the delegate for molestation of minors appointed by him in 2015, who had “full authority and autonomy” in activities related to receiving notifications about victims of injuries by priests and did not have to inform the bishop about them. He himself – he pointed out – was often the last to learn about sexual crimes.
Referring to the issue of immediately reporting cases to law enforcement authorities, he pointed out that he did not immediately know the provision on the basis of which he was supposed to do so, and its interpretation was initially unclear. Sexual abuse of a minor under 15 years of age was included among the crimes that should be immediately reported to law enforcement authorities in 2017 under the amendment to the Code.
– The process of reception of the amendment to the article in the Church in Poland and in the diocese was prolonged. Only upcoming events made this awareness appear with full clarity around 2018, 2019. Therefore, in 2019, the Polish Episcopal Conference issued guidelines in which it emphasized that Article 240 (of the Penal Code – PAP) applies to every clergy – explained the head of the diocese.
He explained that he obtained reliable information about priest Stanisław P.'s sexual abuse in August 2020, when the delegate reported it to the authorities. He pointed out that P.'s acts were mostly committed during the priest's stay in Ukraine and therefore it was not clear whether they should be tried in Poland. As he added, the curia did report it due to the lack of response from the law enforcement authorities and “even against the opinion of many lawyers.”
Earlier, the diocese notified the Vatican Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, which ordered an ecclesiastical trial. Canonical proceedings in 2020 confirmed the allegations against the priest.
However, about the case of molestation of minors by the priest. Tomasz K. – according to the curia – the bishop notified law enforcement authorities immediately after receiving this information at the end of December 2021. When a church trial was taking place in this case earlier, the bishop allegedly did not know that among the injured there were also people under 15 years of age. The notification, he explained, took place immediately after one of the victims reported that he was a minor at the time the sexual abuse occurred.
According to the prosecutor's office, the Church, which conducted its own internal proceedings in the case of both priests, previously had reliable information about the priests' pedophile crimes and should have reported them immediately. Although the investigators noticed that the church authorities had filed a report regarding both priests, however, according to the prosecutor's office, they did it too late – it was not done immediately, as required by law.
This is the first court case in Poland involving a bishop regarding reporting the acts of pedophile priests. The basis for the allegations regarding the failure to notify law enforcement authorities by the church authorities were proceedings regarding the molestation of minors by priests. The case of Fr. Stanisława P. was discontinued in 2022 due to the statute of limitations on the criminal record. However, in the case of Fr. Tomasz K., in December 2024, the Tarnów prosecutor's office sent an indictment to the District Court in Nowy Sącz. In both cases, the issue of reporting these abuses was excluded from separate proceedings concerning the head of the priests.
The next court hearing in this case is scheduled for March 2. (PAP)
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