Polish Bishop Convicted for Failing to Report Child Abuse Allegations

On October 29 2026, a regional court in Tarn ów found Bishop Andrzej Jez guilty of violating Poland’s 2017 law that obliges officials to promptly notify authorities of credible information about sexual abuse of minors. The court imposed a “restriction of liberty” sentence: Jez must donate 25 % of his monthly salary (approximately 4,000 zl) to the Empowering Children Foundation for two years and pay a 20,000 zl fine to the Fund for Assistance to Victims and Post-Penitentiary Assistance. Prosecutors had sought a 10-month suspended prison term.

Notes from PolandThe Irish Times

Poland’s 2017 statute criminalizes failure to report suspected child-sex abuse, with penalties of up to three years’ imprisonment. The case marks the first conviction of a Polish bishop under this law. A February 13 2026 report by a church commission noted that bishops repeatedly ignored credible abuse reports, identifying at least 50 victims and 29 abusers across Polish dioceses.

Notes from Poland

Prosecutors established that priest Stanislaw P. had harmed at least 95 children and performed “sexual acts” against 77 of them over decades in parishes in Poland and Ukraine. The statute of limitations expired before charges could be filed. A second priest, Tomasz K., faced charges in 2023, but the case stalled due to his poor health. Internal church investigations into Stanislaw P. began in the 2000s, with a decision to defrock him issued in 2013; however, Jez notified prosecutors only in 2020, and he informed authorities about Tomasz K. in 2021.

The Irish Times

The Diocese of Tarn ów issued a statement asserting a “zero-tolerance” stance toward abuse and claiming that Jez “diligently performed his duties” under both canon and state law, while also announcing an appeal of the verdict. Prosecutor Marcin Stepien argued that Jez’s delayed reporting allowed the statute of limitations to expire for many of Stanislaw P.’s victims. Bishop Jez denied wrongdoing, maintaining that he reported allegations to the Vatican as soon as he received them and that canon-law confidentiality prevented earlier police notification.

The Irish Times

The conviction underscores the Polish state’s willingness to enforce the 2017 reporting law against high-ranking clergy, potentially prompting stricter compliance across the Catholic hierarchy. It also highlights tensions between canon-law confidentiality and civil obligations, a conflict that may shape future interactions between the Polish Church and law-enforcement agencies.

The Irish Times