Polish prosecutors indict priest over sexual abuse of 14-year-old altar boy

Charges filed against Catholic clergyman

The District Prosecutor in Goleniów has submitted an indictment to court against 62-year-old priest Janusz Z., charging him with sexual offenses committed against a minor boy. The Regional Prosecutor's Office in Szczecin announced the formal conclusion of the investigation and the submission of the indictment on Friday, 2 October 2026. Law enforcement authorities established that the offenses took place during the autumn of 2015 in a parish located in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship. According to the prosecution, the accused acted in a continuous manner with premeditated intent, carrying out other sexual acts against a child under the age of 15 at short time intervals. Under the provisions of the Polish penal code, the offense carries a statutory prison term ranging from 2 to 15 years.

Alleged abuse during private lessons

The victim in the case was a 14-year-old altar boy serving in the local parish where Janusz Z. performed regular pastoral ministry. Investigators found that the clergyman established contact with the boy through parish activities before offering him individual educational assistance. The physical offenses occurred in the course of these private tutoring lessons conducted by the priest. The formal investigation into the allegations was officially initiated by prosecutors in 2025, ten years after the incidents took place. During the investigative phase, the 62-year-old clergyman refused to plead guilty to any of the charges presented by the prosecution. Records confirmed that the defendant has no previous criminal convictions.

The accused performed pastoral ministry in a parish in one of the towns of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship. At that time, the accused met the victim, who was an altar boy in the same parish. The perpetrator committed other sexual acts against the teenager while providing the victim with individual lessons, tutoring.

Prior awareness and delayed reporting

Details regarding the alleged abuse were already known to several individuals and local institutions in 2015 when the events occurred. Staff at the County Family Assistance Centre, alongside school educators and pedagogues, were informed about the priest's conduct with the teenager. The victim's grandmother and grandfather also learned of the abuse and brought the matter directly to the attention of the parish pastor. Despite this widespread knowledge among educators, family members, and church administrators, no official report was submitted to the police or the prosecutor's office at that time. As a result, law enforcement agencies were not involved in investigating the priest until 2025.

Order history and upcoming trial

Janusz Z. is a member of the Society of Christ, a Roman Catholic religious congregation. Prior to his pastoral assignment in West Pomerania, the priest conducted pastoral ministry in the United States. Media reports in 2025 documented that religious superiors transferred him back to Poland following suspicions and allegations of improper conduct during his time in the United States. Following his return, he was placed at the parish where the 14-year-old altar boy was subsequently abused. With the filing of the indictment by the Goleniów district prosecutor, the case now advances to the court for trial proceedings.