Priest killed, four injured in knife attack at Polish abbey
A priest was killed and four other people were injured in a knife attack at a Catholic abbey in south-east Poland; a 31-year-old Ukrainian man has been arrested.
A knife attack at a Catholic abbey in the south-eastern Polish town of Jarosław left a priest dead and four other people injured on Thursday. A 31-year-old Ukrainian man was arrested following the stabbings and is suspected of carrying them out.
According to Polish media reports, the attacker first injured a priest at a nearby cafe before stabbing four more people inside the abbey itself. Police confirmed that four men and one woman were wounded. The identity of the priest who was killed has not been made public. Investigators are now working to determine the attacker's motive.
Polish President Karol Nawrocki said the attack "has shaken us all and demands a firm response from the state." Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the perpetrator "will be punished with the full severity of Polish law."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was "shocked by this evil" and stressed that the perpetrator "must bear full responsibility according to the law," adding that Ukraine expects "a quick and thorough investigation of all circumstances."
The Ukrainian embassy in Poland condemned the attack, calling for people to support each other, remain steadfast in respect for human life, and prevent the pain from escalating into hatred or further violence. It stressed that responsibility for the crime must be determined solely through the law.
Polish Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński said psychological support was being provided to everyone affected by the incident.
Poland has recently experienced a series of often violent incidents involving both Polish citizens and Ukrainians, many of the latter having fled to the country following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
