Ukrainian knifeman kills one, wounds four at abbey in Poland

Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy denounces ‘horrific crime’ after 31-year-old attacks clergy and worshippers in border town.One person was killed and four others injured when a man armed with a knife attacked clergy and worshippers at a Catholic monastery in southern Poland.Police said the 31-year-old attacker, a Ukrainian national, went on a stabbing spree at the 17th-century Benedictine abbey in Jaroslaw, some 30km (19 miles) from the border with Ukraine, on Thursday morning.Recommended Stories list of 2 itemslist 1 of 2Catholic Church at a crossroadslist 2 of 2Poland’s Church and State Allianceend of listThe suspect, who had entered Poland from Germany earlier in the day, reportedly grabbed a knife from the abbey’s kitchen and attacked four men and one woman, including a priest in a confessional, police said.“Three of the victims are clergy members and two are laypeople; one person has died,” said prosecutor Bozena Harasz-Wołoszyn. Two others were in “critical, life-threatening condition”.Polish media identified the man who died as a priest. Police did not immediately confirm the identity of the deceased.Prosecutors said the attacker was headed for a nearby border crossing back into Ukraine but instead went to the abbey.The motive remains unclear, and doctors will assess whether he was under the influence of alcohol, Harasz-Wołoszyn said.A man stands behind police tape at the site of a knife attack in Jaroslaw, southeastern Poland, on Thursday [Gazeta Jaroslawska via AFP]Leaders respondPolish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the “murderer” would be “punished with the full severity of Polish law”.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the attack a “horrific crime”.“The perpetrator of this evil must bear full responsibility in accordance with the law … We are shaken by this evil. Justice must be done.”