Poland’s police detain 76, check 50,000 schools after 2 attacks

On Saturday, Polish police announced the arrest of 76 individuals and the inspection of nearly 50,000 schools across the nation in response to two school attacks earlier in the week. The attacks, which resulted in one death and multiple injuries, sparked heightened security measures in Polish schools. Friday saw many schools suspending classes, with some parents keeping children at home, and police patrolling educational institutions.

The incidents began on Wednesday when a 19-year-old student in the Mazovian province attacked fellow students, teachers, and passers-by with a sharp object, injuring nine people before being apprehended. The following day, a 15-year-old student killed a custodian and wounded two others in a knife attack at his former school in the same province.

Rumors circulated, suggesting the attacks were coordinated and that "bloody Friday" would bring further violence. On Friday, 59 schools pre-emptively canceled classes, and school directors implemented additional security measures, such as placing more staff at entrances and conducting voluntary backpack checks. Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński emphasized the importance of youth safety.

Those detained included a 14-year-old from central Warsaw with a concealed-blade knife and 11 firecrackers, and a 16-year-old who brought a butterfly knife to school. Despite the attacks, no evidence exists linking the incidents, and both perpetrators are currently in custody. Parents are now grappling with how to discuss school violence with their children.

Authorities will continue to implement stricter security measures at schools and provide crisis training. The government also pledged to renew efforts to pass a bill aimed at restricting the dissemination of harmful online content. Prime Minister Donald Tusk noted that if the 15-year-old attacker had streamed his actions online, the government would not have been able to block the content due to a lack of legal tools.

The 15-year-old, who wore a camera during the attack, was eventually subdued by school director Krzysztof Ochmański, who recounted a moment when the boy seemed to realize the seriousness of his actions and expressed a desire to stop.