The Polish prosecutor's office has formulated charges against 31-year-old Ukrainian Ihor M. for murder, attempted murder, and infliction of grievous bodily harm following an attack at the Benedictine sisters' abbey in Jaroslaw, PAP reported, citing Malgorzata Taciuch-Kurasiewicz, spokesperson for the District Prosecutor's Office in Przemysl.
"We have already brought charges against the perpetrator, Mr. Ihor M., for committing the crime of intentional murder, attempted murder of the victims, and infliction of grievous bodily harm," the spokesperson said, adding that the charges carry a penalty of up to life imprisonment, PAP writes on Friday.
The prosecutor's office representative stated that Ihor M. is currently in a hospital. The prosecution has engaged experts to assess whether he is fit to participate in procedural actions. "Regarding his physical condition, he has been provided with medical assistance as he also sustained injuries, but first and foremost, we are interested in his mental state," Taciuch-Kurasiewicz explained.
The spokesperson noted that if the man's health condition does not allow for procedural actions to be conducted within 48 hours of his detention, the charges will not be formally presented to him at that time, and he may not be interrogated. The prosecutor has already filed a motion with the court for the pre-trial detention of Ihor M. If necessary, a court-appointed public defender will be present at the court session.
Taciuch-Kurasiewicz also reported that the results of the 31-year-old man's blood test for psychoactive substances are not yet ready. The police and prosecutor's office have interviewed about 20 people who were on the territory of the monastery complex, as well as Border Guard officers who processed Ihor M.'s entry. Interrogations are ongoing.
The investigation is currently being conducted by the District Prosecutor's Office in Jaroslaw, but it is expected to be taken over by the Regional Prosecutor's Office in Przemysl as early as Friday.
As reported, on Thursday morning, September 24, a 31-year-old Ukrainian citizen attacked four men and one woman with a knife on the territory of the Jaroslaw Abbey on Benedyktynska Street in the Polish city of Jaroslaw. A priest was killed as a result of the attack.
According to the investigation, the suspect entered Poland from Germany. He was heading toward the Korczowa border crossing point, but did not cross the border. The man penetrated the monastery grounds and then entered the kitchen premises. It was there that he reportedly encountered the first people who were subsequently attacked. The Polish government promised severe punishment for the suspect. The Ukrainian Embassy expressed its conviction that the competent authorities will thoroughly and objectively establish all the circumstances of the tragedy.
