The attack at the Jarosław convent
On 24 September, a 31-year-old Ukrainian citizen attacked people inside the Benedictine Sisters monastery in Jarosław, in southeastern Poland. According to investigators, he used a knife on Father Stanisław Zbojnowicz, delivering numerous blows that led to the priest's death. Four other people were also targeted, including two priests and a man and a woman, and they suffered serious injuries that endangered their lives. Police detained the suspect outside the church building.
Charges and his statements
On 7 October, Ihor M. was charged with the murder of one person and the attempted murder of four others. He admitted to all the acts he is accused of, but he refused to give explanations or answer investigators' questions. Earlier interviews had not been possible, because psychiatric opinions from September and early October pointed to acute psychotic disorders and a lack of logical contact. A third panel of psychiatrists, appointed by the prosecutor, concluded that his health allowed him to take part in the proceedings. Investigators stress that this does not settle whether he was criminally responsible at the time of the attack, and that question is still being examined.
Detention upheld
The district court in Jarosław ordered three months of pretrial detention on 26 September. The Przemyśl Regional Court rejected the defence appeal and kept that decision in force, and prosecutor Bożena Harasz-Wołoszyn of the Przemyśl District Prosecutor's Office said the ruling is final. Because of his health, the detention is carried out in a psychiatric hospital with enhanced security. The decision was reported on 21 October.
What investigators still need to establish
Prosecutors have not yet established the full reasons for Ihor M.'s trip to Jarosław or his presence on the abbey grounds. They secured the car he had travelled in, and according to prosecutor Taciuch-Kurasiewicz, no items typical of preparation for a longer journey were found inside. Blood tests for psychoactive substances and alcohol came back negative. Investigators continue to question witnesses and to check the versions of events they have received.