Priest from Tarczyn before court for axe murder and corpse burning
In October, proceedings will begin before the District Court in Radom against Fr. Mirosław M., accused of murder with particular cruelty. He faces a life sentence.
Former parish priest from Tarczyn commune to answer for murder with particular cruelty
As reported by Dziennik Gazeta Prawna, in October proceedings will begin before the District Court in Radom against priest Mirosław M., former parish priest of the parish in Przypki in the Tarczyn commune in Mazovia. The clergyman is accused of murdering his acquaintance Anatol C. with particular cruelty. He faces a sentence of 15 years to life imprisonment.
Property donation as backdrop to conflict
The crime was rooted in a property donation agreement which Anatol C.—a man facing homelessness—had previously transferred to the parish priest. In return, the clergyman undertook to help his acquaintance find suitable housing. According to investigators' findings, the unsuccessful nature of these efforts led to mounting conflict between the men. The priest was said to be increasingly frustrated by Anatol C.'s behaviour, who demanded accommodation meeting his expectations.
Axe attack and body burning
The crime took place in July 2025. During a joint car ride, an argument broke out. Mirosław M. stopped the vehicle, took an axe from the boot and struck his acquaintance in the head. He then poured petrol on Anatol C., set him on fire and left the scene. The priest was detained at his parish, where he was charged with murder with particular cruelty.
Earlier failed murder attempt
The prosecution also charged Mirosław M. with an earlier attempted murder of the same victim. Investigators established that three weeks before the fatal attack, the clergyman stopped the car on a country road and instructed Anatol C. to check the engine. When the man bent down, the priest struck him forcefully in the head. The murder did not take place because a tractor driver appeared nearby. Mirosław M. then took the injured man to the presbytery and called an ambulance, explaining that the man had accidentally struck himself with the car's rear hatch. An experiment conducted by the prosecutor ruled out this version of events, however. Investigators suspect that an axe carried in the boot was used even during this first attempt.
Admission of guilt and psychiatric assessment
Mirosław M. admitted to committing the crime, gave extensive statements and expressed remorse. In the course of the investigation, he was subjected to psychiatric observation. Experts found no symptoms of mental illness in him and considered him to be fully sane and capable of bearing criminal responsibility.
The first hearing is scheduled for 7 October. The priest will be brought to court from the remand centre where he has been held since July of last year.
Church reaction
The case caused widespread public concern due to the position held by the accused and the status of the victim. Warsaw Archbishop Adrian Galbas expressed sadness and emphasised the Church's moral responsibility, apologising to the faithful for this—as he himself described it—"terrible crime".
Source: Dziennik Gazeta Prawna