Ukrainian citizen detained after fatal knife attack at Polish Benedictine monastery

Attack inside the monastery

A fatal stabbing took place on Thursday morning at around 9:30 AM on the grounds of the Benedictine Sisters monastery in Jaroslaw, southeastern Poland. The perpetrator gained access to the premises by taking advantage of a moment when the monastery gate stood open following a visit by a youth group. Once inside the monastery building, the assailant attacked individuals indiscriminately using a knife. Officers from the local police force arrived at the scene shortly after the attack and detained the suspect, identifying him as a 31-year-old Ukrainian citizen. Officers also secured the knife used during the assault on the abbey grounds.

Anna Długosz, a spokesperson for the Jarosław County Police Headquarters, confirmed the detention to reporters.

As it turned out, a Ukrainian citizen had attacked a man with a knife. The officers detained the 31-year-old foreigner. According to initial findings, the man had previously injured four men and a woman with a knife.

Casualties and victim conditions

The stabbing resulted in five casualties, comprising four men and one woman who sustained knife injuries during the assault. All five individuals were transferred by emergency medical personnel to nearby hospitals for urgent care. Three of the victims were Catholic clergymen stationed at the monastery complex. Police and church officials later confirmed that one of the wounded priests, identified as Father Stanisław, died from his injuries in the hospital. The two other injured priests, including Father Marek, remain in serious condition under medical supervision, while three victims in total suffered severe wounds during the attack.

Sister Barbara Dendor described the immediate reports regarding the clergy members following the attack.

We are aware that Father Stanisław has passed away and Father Marek is in serious condition; there are other casualties, but we do not have further details.

Panic on the abbey grounds

The sudden violence triggered widespread panic across the monastery complex, where visitors and residents were present during the morning hours. Young people who had just exited the monastery center witnessed the assault unfold and shouted warnings to others nearby. Sister Barbara Dendor arrived at the facility immediately after the stabbing occurred and recounted the chaos that took place among witnesses and residents. Numerous emergency teams, paramedics, and police units secured the monastery perimeter while attending to the wounded victims on site.

Sister Barbara Dendor relayed the scene she encountered upon reaching the monastery building.

When I arrived, there was total panic; young people who had come out of the center witnessed it -- they were saying, 'Some madman, some madman!'

Official investigation and background

Regional and district prosecutors have been dispatched to the scene in Jaroslaw to lead the ongoing investigation alongside police detectives and forensic specialists. Law enforcement authorities have stated that the motive behind the fatal assault remains undetermined at this stage of the inquiry. Poland serves as a primary logistical hub for Western military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine following the 2022 Russian invasion. Earlier this month, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned that intensified Russian attacks in Ukraine in the coming weeks could have repercussions for Poland. Police investigators in Jaroslaw continue to question the 31-year-old suspect to establish the circumstances surrounding the attack.