Prosecutors order psychiatric review of suspect in fatal Jarosław abbey attack
Polish prosecutors have appointed two psychiatric experts to assess 31-year-old Ihor M., who killed priest Stanisław Zbojnowicz and wounded four others in Jarosław on 24 September.
Psychiatric evaluation ordered
The District Prosecutor's Office in Przemyśl has appointed two psychiatric experts to conduct a renewed assessment of 31-year-old Ukrainian citizen Ihor M. Investigators have not questioned the suspect or formally presented charges because of his psychiatric condition following his arrest. Earlier examinations diagnosed the man with acute polymorphic psychotic disorder. The suspect remains in temporary detention within a hospital psychiatric ward while doctors conduct their evaluation over several days. If the medical experts determine that his mental condition has improved, prosecutors intend to interrogate him and file formal charges. District prosecutor spokesperson Małgorzata Taciuch-Kurasiewicz outlined the judicial approach regarding the medical examination.
Perhaps the new opinion will bring some changes. If not, we will wait some time again and once more ask the experts whether Ihor's state of health has improved.
Sequence of the abbey attack
The violent attack occurred on 24 September 2026 on the grounds of the Benedictine abbey in Jarosław, in south-eastern Poland. Ihor M. had traveled to Poland from Germany intending to return to Ukraine, but border officials at the Korczowa checkpoint refused entry because his car lacked mandatory third-party liability insurance. The man abandoned the vehicle near the border and accepted a ride from strangers into Jarosław. On the grounds of the abbey complex, the assailant attacked five people with a knife, targeting three Roman Catholic priests and two laypeople. Father Stanisław Zbojnowicz died from his injuries, while Rev. Marek Pieńkowski, Rev. Adrian Mantykiewicz, Krzysztof G., and Ewa S. sustained life-threatening wounds. Two of the injured victims remain hospitalized in serious condition.
- Ihor M. attacks five people with a knife at the Jarosław abbey, killing Father Stanisław Zbojnowicz
- Father Zbojnowicz is buried in Grzęska, and abbey staff discover his notebook recording 25,503 masses
- Przemyśl prosecutors assign two psychiatric experts to conduct a renewed assessment of suspect Ihor M.
Funeral and the 40-year notebook
On Tuesday, 29 September 2026, the funeral of Father Stanisław Zbojnowicz took place in his home village of Grzęska in the Podkarpacie region. Auxiliary Bishop Stanisław Jamrozek of the Przemyśl archdiocese presided over the service in the parish where the priest celebrated his first mass in 1986. Polish President Karol Nawrocki sent a commemorative letter that was read during the funeral ceremonies.
I deeply believe that the true measure of Father Stanisław's life will not be the tragedy of his final moments, but the good that he left in the lives of other people through forty years of priesthood.
Following the funeral, representatives of the Jarosław abbey announced the discovery of a personal notebook kept by Father Zbojnowicz across his four decades of ministry. The 67-year-old priest had recorded every liturgy he celebrated from his ordination in 1986 until the final day of his life, totaling 25,503 masses. The notebook documented the specific intentions for each service across his pastoral work in Wola Zarczycka, Rogi, Domostawa, Rzeszów, Przeworsk, Krosno, and his 16 years at the Jarosław abbey. If deemed fit for legal proceedings, the 31-year-old suspect faces charges of murder, attempted murder, and inflicting severe bodily injury, carrying a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
