In Poland, suspects in assault on Ukrainian children detained
Polish police detained a man and a woman suspected of assaulting two Ukrainian children in Bydgoszcz. The incident occurred on August 14, and the detention is a new stage of the investigation after the story gained widespread resonance and after Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk reacted to it. Procedural actions are now being carried out with the detainees.
The victims are a 14-year-old girl and her 12-year-old brother from Ukraine. According to the Consulate General of Ukraine in Gdańsk, the children were in a park in the railway station area in Bydgoszcz when a conflict arose with a man and a woman.
The Ukrainian side reported that the adults used obscene language toward the brother and sister and threatened them. During the conflict, the boy's arm was twisted. In addition, the adults broke a toy drone belonging to the children and threw its fragments at the child, resulting in scratches.
The consulate stated that the aggression could be related to the children's nationality: the brother and sister were speaking Ukrainian to each other. Polish police, however, reported that the direct cause of the conflict was initially the launching of the drone. According to the children's testimony, during the subsequent quarrel the adults also made remarks about their Ukrainian origin.
Police investigating possible national motive
Law enforcement officers are clarifying the circumstances of the incident and gathering evidence. Among the possible legal qualifications of the case are insult based on national origin and damage to property. However, the detention of the man and woman does not mean they have been found guilty—the final qualification of the actions and further procedural decisions must be determined by the investigation and the prosecutor's office.
After the incident, the Ukrainian consulate contacted the children's mother and provided the family with consular and legal assistance. According to diplomats, the children did not sustain serious physical injuries, but the incident caused them significant emotional stress.
Donald Tusk reacted to the assault
On August 18, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk spoke publicly about the assault. He called on those wanted to turn themselves in to the police, warning that otherwise law enforcement would find them. The head of the Polish government stressed that attacks on children are unacceptable and damage Poland itself.
Tusk said that Poles can be proud of their attitude not only toward their own children but also toward the children of foreigners who have found refuge in the country. Shortly thereafter, it became known that police detained a man and a woman connected with the incident in Bydgoszcz.
The investigation is ongoing. Police must establish the exact sequence of events, the detainees' motive, and determine whether there are grounds for charges related to national hatred.
Based on materials from: Polish Radio, Onet
