The lawsuit, filed in the Tarnów District Court, was brought by eight adult men. In their childhood, each was sexually abused by Father Marian W. The parish priest harmed boys serving as lectors and altar boys in parishes in Małopolska belonging to the Tarnów diocese.
The Church covered up the pedophile's actions and transferred him to different places of ministry where he found new victims.
Judge's ties spark outcry in priest abuse lawsuit
Each victim of Father Marian now demands 1.5 million złoty in compensation. However, the assigned judge appears notably biased. "Gazeta Wyborcza Kraków" discovered that the judge in question is Marek Syrek, president of the Cordare Catholic Foundation in Tarnów.
Conflict of interest. Calls for judge change in priest abuse case
The issue arises because the foundation's president is Father Robert Biel, a member of the Bishop's Council and Priestly Council of the Tarnów Diocese, among other roles. This has sparked significant controversy, especially since the judge's superior directly reports to the Tarnów bishop.
Furthermore, another bishop from the same diocese is a donor to the foundation managed by the judge. Because of these connections, the representatives of the victims of the pedophile priest have demanded a change of the judge handling the case.
Source: PAP/Gazeta Wyborcza Kraków
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