Poland: Catholic vicar convicted of sexually abusing five teenage boys, including altar servers, across two parishes

Proceedings

1. 2026-05-22 · conviction, non-final at time of reporting

   Sąd Okręgowy w Rzeszowie (Regional Court in Rzeszów), Poland. On 22 May 2026 the Regional Court in Rzeszów convicted Fr Dominik R. of six sexual offenses against boys and sentenced him to 5 years' imprisonment, to be served in a therapeutic unit given a diagnosed sexual-preference disorder. He harmed five teenage boys, two of them under 15, across the parishes of Święcany and Boguchwała, with offenses occurring in the catechetical room, during an organized school trip abroad, and during pool outings for altar servers. The court additionally imposed a lifetime ban on working with children or minors, a prohibition on approaching places where children congregate, and a 10-year no-contact order covering the victims. The Diocesan Curia of Rzeszów removed him from his vicar posting and suspended him from all pastoral functions. The sentence was reported as non-final (nieprawomocny); parents of one victim were reported pursuing an appeal, apparently seeking a harsher sentence.

Documented coercion mechanisms

• his standing as parish vicar and the trust placed in him by families of altar servers and catechism participants
• use of parish settings — including the rectory/parish house — and a school trip abroad and swimming-pool outings organized for altar servers as access points