A regional court in southern Poland has convicted Bishop Andrzej Jeż of Tarnów for failing to report the sexual abuse of minors by two priests in his diocese, marking the first time a Polish bishop has been convicted for such negligence. The court ordered the Catholic Church to deduct 25 percent of the bishop’s monthly salary for two years, with the proceeds donated to a Polish children’s charity.
This verdict changes how the Catholic hierarchy is held legally accountable in one of Europe's most devoutly Catholic nations. While the prosecution had sought a 10-month suspended prison sentence, the court instead opted for a financial penalty—a “restriction of liberty” carried out through salary deductions—to benefit the Empowering Children Foundation.
The Collision of Canon Law and Polish Statute
The case centers on the tension between internal church protocols and state law. Bishop Jeż, 63, who has led the Diocese of Tarnów since 2012, argued that he followed the rules of the Vatican. He testified that “papal secrecy” provisions in canon law prevented him from notifying civil authorities, claiming that making documents available to the state before sending them to the Vatican would have cost him his position.
The court dismissed this defense. Judges ruled that Jeż’s testimony lacked credibility and noted that his arguments contradicted remarks made by Pope Francis. The court affirmed that the Polish law introduced in July 2017—which mandates the immediate reporting of "credible information" regarding crimes like child sexual abuse—is binding on all citizens, including bishops.
Before 2017, reporting such crimes was viewed as a social duty rather than a legal obligation. Under the current statute, failure to report can carry a maximum prison sentence of three years.
A Legacy of Unprosecuted Crimes
The conviction stems from the bishop’s handling of two specific priests: Stanisław P. and Tomasz K. The scale of the abuse attributed to Stanisław P. is staggering; prosecutors established that he harmed at least 95 children over several decades across parishes in Poland and Ukraine.
Despite the gravity of these crimes, the state could not prosecute Stanisław P. because the statute of limitations had elapsed. He was defrocked by the church in 2013, a decade after the first complaints surfaced, but Bishop Jeż did not inform prosecutors about him until 2020. In the second instance, Jeż waited until 2021 to report allegations against Tomasz K. While charges were brought against Tomasz K. in 2023, a trial has not proceeded due to the priest’s poor health.
The Diocese of Tarnów has contested the timeline. In a statement, the Curia claimed that Jeż only gained “concrete knowledge” of Stanisław P.’s actions in 2019 after reviewing documents from the priest’s time in Ukraine. The diocese further noted that one victim had already contacted prosecutors in 2010, suggesting the state was already aware of the priest’s conduct.
Eroding Trust in the Polish Church
This trial is the highest-profile case of its kind in Poland and arrives amid a broader collapse of public confidence in the clergy. The case is part of a series of scandals that have shaken the national identity of a country where Catholicism was long seen as a pillar of society.
The data suggests a rapid decline in institutional trust. A 2025 poll conducted by Polish pollster IBRiS revealed that trust in the Catholic Church plummeted to 35%, down from 58% in 2016. This trend is compounded by recent leadership failures; in 2024, both a bishop and an archbishop resigned over their negligence in handling abuse cases.
The Path to Appeal
The legal battle is far from over. The Tarnów Curia has stated that the judgment is not final and does not definitively determine the bishop’s criminal liability. Defense lawyers are currently requesting a written justification of the judgment to analyze the court’s reasoning.
Bishop Jeż has announced his intention to launch an appeal, challenging the court’s finding that he failed to perform his duties under state law.
