An 18-year-old Ukrainian citizen has been placed in pretrial detention in Poland after allegedly attacking a Polish woman with a knife in the stairwell of an apartment in Wrocław.
The suspect is accused of stabbing the 30-year-old victim several times in the neck and chest at around 9 p.m. on Saturday, Rzeczpospolita reported, citing the Polish Press Agency (PAP).
A witness told Radio Wrocław, “My wife looked through the peephole and it turned out there was some kind of struggle. We opened the door, because we thought they were just struggling. But after opening the door, I started running. It was a stabbing. We gave the girl first aid. I saw wounds to her chest and neck.
According to the witness, the victim said that the boy had spoken to her out on the street shortly before the attack, before following her into the apartment block. “I already talked to her about whether she knew him. She said he asked her for directions on the bus. We saw on the cameras that she entered first, and he followed her. The door hadn’t even closed yet, and he was already pulling out a knife,” he said.
Police arrested him shortly after witnesses reported the attack. Prosecutors have charged him with attempted murder, an offense carrying a potential sentence of up to 25 years in prison.
The teenager pleaded not guilty and refused to answer questions about the alleged attack, including his possible motive.
A court on Tuesday ordered him to remain in custody for three months. Prosecutors said detention was necessary because the suspect has no permanent residence and could attempt to flee.
The woman was taken to hospital in Wrocław following the stabbing. She was later discharged in good general condition and no longer required hospitalization.
Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński praised the police response and said there would be “zero tolerance for criminals and hatred.”
The Ukrainian Consulate General in Wrocław also condemned the violence and said anyone who commits a crime must be held accountable under Polish law.
The attack also triggered a political dispute over the government’s handling of foreign criminals.
Przemysław Czarnek, deputy leader of the conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party, said the case demonstrated the need for stronger measures to remove foreigners who break Polish laws.
“In Poland, every guest must follow our rules and respect our laws,” Czarnek said, accusing the government of delaying legislation he claimed would make deportations more effective.
Karolina Gałecka, a spokeswoman for the Interior Ministry, rejected the criticism and said the suspect had been detained immediately, and further claimed that Poland is deporting far more foreigners now than under the previous PiS government.
