Polish police detain more teens following school knife attacks amid fears of further incidents
Many parents decided not to keep their children at home as online rumours swirled.
Following two knife attacks on schools in Poland this week, authorities have conducted security checks on more than 10,000 schools and arrested at least 10 individuals, many of them teenagers. The attacks have sparked fears of further incidents, with rumors circulating online that the assaults were coordinated and more attacks planned for Friday.
Parents have responded by keeping their children home from school, with some districts closing their schools entirely. The government has faced criticism from the opposition, who accuse the administration of failing to protect schools adequately. President Karol Nawrocki has been targeted for previous vetoes of laws aimed at improving children's safety.
One of the attackers was a 15-year-old former school caretaker who killed a 39-year-old staff member at a primary school. Another incident involved a 19-year-old student who injured eight people at a different school. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that police would perform regular checks on schools, but many parents decided to keep their children out of school on Friday.
Police have detained numerous students for various reasons, including making online threats, possessing weapons, or posting threatening images. The situation has also become politicized, with the opposition accusing the government of inadequately protecting schools, and President Nawrocki criticized for vetoing bills aimed at enhancing children's safety.
Written by urgent.news from Notes from Poland's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
