The Diocese of Bielsko-Zywiec “said that its letter to the court should not have included questions about the victim’s sexuality or have suggested that he drew pleasure from contact with the priest,” according to the report. “Poland’s Catholic bishops had already strongly criticized the southern Polish diocese.”

“The issue of sexual orientation or the way a child reacts emotionally to an offense of sexual abuse cannot constitute an argument against the injured person and diminish the responsibility of the perpetrator,” said Father Piotr Studnicki, who leads the Polish bishops’ child-protection office. “It must be clear to everyone that a child never bears responsibility for violence experienced.”