Polish court convicts bishop of failing to promptly report abuse

A Polish bishop has been convicted of failing to promptly notify law enforcement about the sexual abuse of minors by two priests of his diocese.

A district court in Tarnów, southern Poland, on Oct. 29 found Bishop Andrzej Jeż of Tarnów guilty and sentenced him to two years' “restriction of liberty,” a noncustodial penalty. Instead of prison, 1,000 zlotys (about $254) of his monthly salary will go to a childrenʼs charity .

The court also ordered him to pay 10,000 zlotys (about $2,538) on each count into a state victims' fund . Prosecutor Marcin Stępień had sought a suspended sentence and a fine of 20,000 zlotys (about $5,075).

The verdict is the outcome of the first criminal trial of a Polish bishop on that charge. The diocese has announced it will appeal .

The courtʼs reasoning “The court believes that the defendantʼs task was merely, and yet as much as, to file the appropriate notifications, not to assess individual cases,” Judge Małgorzata Adamczyk said .

She found the bishopʼs testimony not credible .

The curia said it “does not agree with the courtʼs decision” and stressed that, in both cases, the curia made formal notifications to law enforcement…