Priest’s Abuse Trial Opens

By Joanna Berendt
New York Times
March 20, 2015

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/21/world/europe/poland-priests-abuse-trial-opens.html?_r=0

A Polish priest accused of sexually abusing minors in Poland and in the Dominican Republic, where he led a parish for almost a decade, offered to serve a seven-year jail sentence as his trial opened on Friday, according to a spokeswoman for a regional court in Warsaw. The priest, the Rev. Wojciech Gil, is charged with committing 10 crimes, most of which relate to the molestation of boys under the age of 15. If convicted, he could serve up to 15 years in prison. During the trial, Father Gil for the first time since his arrest did not deny the charges, the court spokeswoman said, but it is unclear whether he pleaded guilty. Under Polish law, a defendant can offer to serve a jail term for some crimes without admitting to any guilt. The trial resumes on Wednesday.