One of the suspects faces nine charges of pedophilia and has been placed under police supervision, with strict restrictions on his movements and contact with victims.
The second priest has been charged with two counts of sexual crimes involving children and is being held in detention.
The third suspect has been charged with two counts of fraud carried out during his time in the clergy.
He has since been released under police supervision with a ban on leaving the country and contacting victims.
Prosecutor Bartosz Kilian from the District Prosecutor’s Office in Sosnowiec said that the number of children harmed by the two priests matches the 11 charges filed against them.
He added that the seriousness of the alleged crimes committed by the priest under police supervision is notably less than that of the detained suspect.
The exact nature of the offenses and the location of the crimes remain undisclosed, but if convicted the sex crime priests face up to 12 years in prison, while the former priest accused of fraud faces up to eight years.
Following the arrests, Father Przemysław Lech from the Sosnowiec Diocesan Curia said: “The arrested individuals are currently undergoing legal processes. Once the Diocesan Curia receives additional information, an official statement will be issued.”
Wider scandals and Church oversight
The investigation is part of a broader probe initiated in March last year, following a separate incident involving the murder of a 26-year-old deacon by a 40-year-old priest, who later took his own life. This case was closed following the perpetrator’s death.
In the same month, a man was found dead in the apartment of a suspended priest, who has since been charged with negligent homicide and drug possession. An investigation into the case is ongoing.
In September 2023, another priest from the Sosnowiec diocese, Father Tomasz Z., was sentenced to 1.5 years in prison after being charged with drug-related crimes and one offense of immoral behavior after organizing a sex party in which a man passed out.
A commission for discernment and development has since been established in the diocese to review its pastoral, legal, and financial structures.
Another commission is being set up to investigate the various scandals involving clergy.
