Polish bishop convicted of failing to report clergy abuse of minors - The Straits Times

Poland's Catholic diocese of Tarnow Bishop Andrzej Jez stands at a district court before the start of his trial on charges of failing to promptly inform law enforcement about alleged child abuse committed by priests under his authority, in Tarnow, Poland, February 18, 2026. Jakub Wlodek/Agencja Wyborcza.pl/via REUTERS

WARSAW, Oct 29 - Polish Bishop Andrzej Jez was convicted on Thursday of failing to notify authorities about the sexual abuse of minors by two priests from his diocese, in the highest-profile case of its kind involving a Catholic Church leader in Poland.

The case is the latest in a series of clergy abuse scandals that have eroded trust in the church in one of Europe's most devoutly Catholic nations.

• The court in the southern city of Tarnow sentenced Jez to two years of restriction of liberty to be carried out through deductions from his salary, PAP news agency reported. The verdict is not final

• Jez had pleaded not guilty to the charges. In his testimony, he explained the delay in reporting by citing the ambiguity of criminal regulations and the specific circumstances of the individual cases, PAP said