An ordinary Saturday evening in the center of the capital of Greater Poland turned into a scene full of aggression and hatred. Two fifteen-year-old girls from Ukraine fell victim to brutal, verbal and physical attack by an adult woman. The incident, which likely would have gone unnoticed, gained widespread attention thanks to the courageous response of witnesses and the footage, which immediately circulated on social media. Police quickly apprehended the attacker, and her police record revealed that this wasn’t the woman’s first run-in with the law.
Aggression and xenophobic slogans on the street
This shocking incident occurred last Saturday, shortly before 11:00 PM, in the bustling city center of Poznań. Two 15-year-old Ukrainian girls were walking down the street when a 36-year-old Polish woman suddenly crossed their path. The woman was clearly under the influence of alcohol or other unknown intoxicating substances – witnesses reported that she could barely stand and her behavior was extremely unpredictable.
For no apparent reason, the 36-year-old woman flew into a rage and began attacking the confused teenagers. She hurled profanity and xenophobic insults. She shouted slogans such as “Poland for Poles,” insulting girls solely because of their nationality. The situation became more and more tense with each passing second, and the attacker began to act as if she wanted to come to blows.
The heroic attitude of the witnesses and the recording that brought down the attacker
In many similar situations, the victims are left alone, and the crowd looks the other way. This time, however, it was different. Random passersby rushed to the rescue of the terrified 15-year-olds. Other women nearby demonstrated particular courage. One of them—also a Ukrainian citizen, as it later turned out—physically defended the teenagers, pushing the aggressive 36-year-old away.
The key moment turned out to be the decision of another person in the crowd, who immediately pulled out her phone and began recording the entire incident. The sight of the camera initially infuriated the woman even more. The video, which quickly went viral and garnered thousands of shares, shows the unsteady woman trying to strike both the Ukrainian teenagers and those who came to their defense. This recording later became key evidence in the case.
Quick police action and the dark past of a 36-year-old woman
The video’s release on social media sparked outrage, and the relevant authorities immediately took action. Poznań police officers quickly identified the perpetrator. On Monday morning, officers knocked on the 36-year-old’s door and arrested her.
The reason for the identification process so swiftly became clear: the woman was well-known to the justice system. Her police record was practically bursting with previous offenses. It turned out she had been charged with numerous crimes in the past. Her long list of previous offenses included: driving under the influence of alcohol, making criminal threats, insulting others, falsifying government documents, and violating personal inviolability. Saturday’s attack was, therefore, another serious violation of the law by the same individual.
Harsh consequences for ethnic hatred
The attacker is currently in police custody, and investigators are gathering and analyzing evidence, including witness statements and surveillance and cell phone recordings. Due to the nature of the words spoken, the initial classification of the act includes insults and an ethnically motivated attack.
Polish law takes a harsh approach to these types of crimes. The 36-year-old faces up to three years of imprisonment for making threats or insulting someone based on their national, ethnic, or racial affiliation. Considering her criminal history and recidivism record, the court’s sentence could prove exceptionally harsh.
Sources: ONET.Pl / Radio Poznań.pl
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