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WORLD NEWS Saturday 18 May 2019

Poland leader slams church pathology, backs sex abuse probe

By MONIKA SCISLOWSKA cleansing. Speaking on pri- were seen as an attempt to
Associated Press vate TVN24 late Thursday, lessen the censorious focus
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Polak said he did not see on the church.
Poland’s ruling conserva- any “hand raised against “Neither purple (bishops’)
tive party leader said Friday the church.” robes, nor a Nobel prize or
it does not tolerate “pathol- “If the church is currently an Oscar, neither world-
ogy” in the Catholic church going through difficulties, wide nor European fame
and will back a commission serious challenges, even can protect from respon-
to investigate sex abuse of a crisis, they all serve the sibility for the crime of pe-
minors in church but also in church’s cleansing,” Polak dophilia,” Kaczynski said
other circles. said. at a rally ahead of May 26
It was the first reaction by He said the church will es- elections to the European
Jaroslaw Kaczynski, a prac- tablish a fund to support Parliament.
ticing Catholic, to a docu- the victims. The new law against pedo-
mentary film, “Tell No One,” Reacting to the film, Po- philia, enacted in a matter
that contains testimony by land’s government and of days, is seen as an at-
men and women that they parliament have tough- tempt by the Law and Jus-
were molested or raped by ened the punishment for tice to gain support ahead
priests when they were chil- In this Thursday, March 14, 2019 photo the head of Poland’s pedophilia, raising prison of the upcoming European
dren. Aired Saturday, it has Catholic Church Archbishop Wojciech Polak, right, addresses terms to 30 years from the vote and Poland’s own
provoked a heated public the media during a news conference in Warsaw, Poland, in current 12 years. The new parliamentary election in
which the church revealed it has recorded cases of 382 priests
debate and soul-searching abusing minors since 1990. At left is Archbishop Henryk Gadecki, law is expected to win ap- the fall.
in the church, which tradi- the head of Poland’s Episcopate. proval from the Senate and But an EU Parliament law-
tionally enjoys respect in Associated Press President Andrzej Duda. maker for the ruling party,
predominantly Catholic “which does not mean that raises his hand against Po- Opposition lawmakers are Ryszard Legutko, drew
Poland. we support or tolerate pa- land.” demanding that an inde- strong criticism on social
Also, the pro-church ruling thology in the church.” Contradicting those claims, pendent commission inves- media for showing no com-
Law and Justice party has Previously, Kaczynski was the head of Poland’s Cath- tigate abuse of minors by passion for victims and ar-
rushed through parliament saying that the church has olic church, Archbishop priests. Kaczynski backed guing that most abuse cas-
a law toughening punish- been under attack lately Wojciech Polak, said that the idea, but said the com- es were on boys aged be-
ment for pedophilia. from western values and the recent revelations mission should not only fo- tween 12 and 17, in which
At an election campaign argued that “anyone who about priests abusing mi- cus on the church but also case they were pederasty,
rally Kaczynski said the raises his hand against the nors are not attacks on investigate other areas of not pedophilia. He has re-
party backs the church, church, wants to destroy it, the church but will help its work with minors. His words fused to apologize.q

Basque separatist chief jailed in France, day after capture

By ELAINE GANLEY Spain says it will ask France Ternera was one of the
Associated Press to extradite Ternera to negotiators who sat down
PARIS (AP) — A longtime stand trial for alleged with Spanish government
chief of the Basque mili- crimes against humanity envoys for talks to try to end
tant separatist group ETA and multiple killings before the group’s activities in the
has been jailed in France, he completes a French mid-2000s. His voice was
a day after his arrest in a sentence. identified as one of two
French Alpine town ended ETA, whose initials stand for ETA members who read a
17 years on the run. “Basque Homeland and statement announcing the
A French judicial official Freedom” in the Basque group’s dismantling on au-
said Josu Ternera, the most language, killed more dio recordings released on
wanted ETA member since than 850 people during its May 3, 2018.
2002, was transferred to decades-long violent cam- Mayor Jean-Marc Peillex of
Paris, formally notified of paign to create an inde- Saint-Gervais-les-Bains said
the arrest warrant and or- pendent state in northern Ternera had been housed
dered jailed. The official A poster with the face of Basque separatist militant Josu Ternera Spain and southern France. in the village of Saint Nico-
wasn’t authorized to speak is attached to a wall in his home town of Ugao-Miraballes, Spain, The militant group gave las de Veroce, on the out-
publicly. Thursday, May 16, 2019. up its arms in 2017 and dis- skirts of his town. He spec-
Ternera was arrested Thurs- Associated Press banded last year after be- ulated Friday that police
day in the town of Sal- sentia in 2017 in France for eight years in prison. He has ing weakened by efforts were searching for accom-
lanches. involvement in a terrorist the right to request a new to dismantle its operations plices who helped hide the
He was convicted in ab- group and sentenced to trial. and arrest its leaders. long-time fugitive. q