Polish Prime Minister Links School Attacks to Online Violence Glorification
Donald Tusk stated that recent violent incidents in Polish schools, which resulted in one death and injuries, were inspired by online content and a fascination with violence.
Recent violent attacks at Polish schools, which have resulted in one death and injuries, are being driven by the "glorification of violence" online, according to Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Tusk made these remarks on Sunday during a crisis meeting with security services, stating that the incidents are often spontaneous actions inspired by online activity.
Police have arrested 117 individuals across Poland for possessing knives or other weapons, or for making threats against schools and fellow students. These arrests followed searches of tens of thousands of schools nationwide.
One of the recent attacks occurred on Saturday when a woman injured three people while attacking a 17-year-old girl at an educational institution in Warsaw. The previous day, thousands of police officers visited schools following two earlier stabbing incidents. One of these attacks led to the fatal stabbing of a female caretaker.
Prime Minister Tusk clarified that the country is not confronting any large-scale organized groups. He noted a global and domestic rise in the "fascination with violence" in recent years and months, describing the attacks as acts of "nihilistic violence" often associated with the extreme right. Tusk indicated that some detained individuals are active in ultraright circles and that police have observed an increase in online searches for Nazi content and for "mass killers who have become idols online."
Earlier in the week, on Wednesday, a 19-year-old student injured nine people at a vocational school in the central Polish province of Mazovian. The following day, a 15-year-old entered a primary school in Leszczydół-Nowiny, north of Warsaw, and fatally stabbed a 37-year-old caretaker, also wounding two other adults.
In a separate incident, a 17-year-old was detained in Sierpc, north-west of Warsaw, after allegedly stating on school grounds that he planned to carry out a "dangerous" act and harm someone.
The wave of stabbings prompted concerns and rumors of a "Bloody Friday" of further attacks, reportedly stemming from an online challenge. In response, thousands of Polish police officers visited schools to reassure students.
Additionally, Polish security services convened a special meeting on Sunday after receiving credible information about a potential attack targeting Prime Minister Tusk and Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz. A spokesperson for the services stated that the threat was being treated as "deadly serious."