Share

Man charged for toppling statue of Polish priest over abuse

Share

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Polish prosecutors said Friday they have charged the first of three men who pulled down the statue of a prominent Solidarity-era priest amid allegations that he sexually abused minors.

The man was charged with disrespectful treatment of a monument and with damaging it, Gdansk regional prosecutors’ spokeswoman Grazyna Wawryniuk said. If convicted, he could receive up to five years in prison.

Two other men are expected to hear the same charges later Friday. The men travelled from Warsaw to topple the statue early Thursday that stood close to the late Monsignor Henryk Jankowski’s parish of St. Brygida in Gdansk.

They pulled down the statue to protest what they called the failure by the Polish Catholic Church and society to resolve the problem of clergy sex abuse.

The action came just hours before Pope Francis convened world Catholic leaders at the Vatican to find ways of solving the church’s sex abuse crisis.

Trending:
Federal Judge Has Bad News for Hunter Biden, Says There's Zero Evidence His Charges Are Politically Motivated

A Polish foundation that represents abuse survivors gave Francis a report this week that describes allegations that underage boys spent nights at Jankowski’s parish house and received presents and money from him. An investigation into the allegations was discontinued in 2003 after experts said they found no traces of sexual behavior toward the boys.

Recently, other persons have appeared on Polish media with allegations that they were abused by Jankowski as minors.

Jankowski, who died in 2010, rose to prominence in the 1980s through his support for the pro-democracy Solidarity movement and its leader, Lech Walesa, in their struggle against Poland’s communist regime.

World leaders including President George H.W. Bush and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher visited his St. Brygida church in recognition of his anti-communist activity.

The Western Journal has not reviewed this Associated Press story prior to publication. Therefore, it may contain editorial bias or may in some other way not meet our normal editorial standards. It is provided to our readers as a service from The Western Journal.

Truth and Accuracy

Submit a Correction →



We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.

Tags:
Share
The Associated Press is an independent, not-for-profit news cooperative headquartered in New York City. Their teams in over 100 countries tell the world’s stories, from breaking news to investigative reporting. They provide content and services to help engage audiences worldwide, working with companies of all types, from broadcasters to brands. Photo credit: @AP on Twitter
The Associated Press was the first private sector organization in the U.S. to operate on a national scale. Over the past 170 years, they have been first to inform the world of many of history's most important moments, from the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the bombing of Pearl Harbor to the fall of the Shah of Iran and the death of Pope John Paul.

Today, they operate in 263 locations in more than 100 countries relaying breaking news, covering war and conflict and producing enterprise reports that tell the world's stories.
Location
New York City




Conversation