Poland charges Ukrainian man over fatal attack at Jarosław monastery
Polish prosecutors have formally charged a 31-year-old Ukrainian man with murder and causing grievous bodily harm after a knife attack at a Benedictine abbey in Jarosław that left a priest dead. The suspect remains hospitalized.
Prosecutors in Poland have drawn up formal charges against a 31-year-old Ukrainian citizen, identified as Ihor M., for murder, attempted murder and causing grievous bodily harm following an attack on Saturday, September 24, at a Benedictine sisters' abbey in Jarosław. The charges carry a potential sentence of life imprisonment, according to Małgorzata Taciuch-Kurasiewicz, spokeswoman for the district prosecutor's office in Przemyśl.
The knife attack injured four men and one woman; a priest died as a result. The suspect is currently being treated in hospital for injuries he also sustained. Prosecutors have brought in experts to assess whether he is fit to take part in procedural steps, with particular focus on his mental state. If his condition prevents procedural actions within 48 hours of his detention, formal charges will not be presented during that period and he may not be questioned.
The prosecutor has already asked a court to order pre-trial detention; a state-appointed defense lawyer will attend the hearing if required. Results of a blood test to check for psychoactive substances are not yet available. A translator has been engaged to assist with procedural steps and the translation of documents that must be served to the man.
Police and prosecutors have interviewed around 20 people who were on the monastery grounds at the time, as well as Border Guard officers who had earlier processed the man's entry. Questioning is ongoing. The case is currently being handled by the district prosecutor's office in Jarosław but is expected to be taken over by the regional prosecutor's office in Przemyśl as early as Friday.
According to earlier reports, the man entered Poland from Germany on Thursday, heading toward the border crossing at Korczowa, but did not cross it. He instead made his way onto the monastery grounds and entered the kitchen area, where he apparently encountered the first people he then attacked. Poland's government has promised severe punishment for the suspect, while Ukraine's embassy expressed confidence that authorities would thoroughly and objectively establish all circumstances of the tragedy.
