Prosecutor requests 10-month suspended sentence for Polish bishop

A prosecutor has requested a 10-month suspended prison sentence and a fine for Bishop Andrzej Jeż of Tarnów, Poland, following allegations that he failed to promptly report sexual abuse by priests to law enforcement.

During closing arguments delivered October 15 at the Tarnów District Court, prosecutor Marcin Stępień requested that the 63-year-old bishop serve the 10-month sentence with a three-year probation period. Stępień also requested a fine of 20,000 złotys, which is approximately 4,600 euros or 5,140 dollars.

Stępień argued that the diocese reported allegations involving two priests, who allegedly abused children under age 15, more than three years after a 2017 legal obligation to report such offenses began. The prosecutor stated that the diocese only reported allegations against one priest after they were published in a blog post, a delay that caused the offenses to fall outside the statute of limitations. Stępień further noted that the bishop failed to apologize for the alleged negligence, offering only general condemnations of sexual abuse.

Bishop Jeż denies the charges, and his defense lawyers have requested an acquittal. A verdict is expected at the end of October.