WARSAW, Poland (AP) – Police reported a third attack at a Polish school in less than a week occurred on Saturday, involving a 21-year-old woman who injured three individuals at an educational institution in Warsaw. The attacker used a "dangerous object" to injure a 17-year-old woman, along with two others aged 17 and 24, according to Jakub Filipiak, a spokesman for Warsaw police. None of the injuries were life-threatening.
This incident followed the detention of 76 individuals across Poland and checks at nearly 50,000 schools nationwide as part of efforts to prevent further violence after two earlier school attacks this week.
On Friday, schools in Poland increased security measures, with some suspending classes and many parents opting to keep their children at home. Police patrols were deployed to educational institutions following two school attacks earlier in the week that resulted in one fatality and several injuries, including among children.
On Wednesday, a 19-year-old student at a vocational school in the Mazovian province attacked fellow students, teachers, and passersby with a sharp object, injuring nine people before fleeing and being apprehended nearby. The following day, a 15-year-old killed a school custodian and wounded two others in a knife attack at his former school in the same province.
These incidents, both perpetrated by Polish nationals, have raised concerns in a country where school violence among minors is relatively uncommon. By Thursday night, rumors circulated that the attacks were coordinated, with fears of further incidents on a day referred to as "bloody Friday" shared among parents and in mainstream media.
Fifty-nine schools preemptively suspended classes on Friday across Poland, primarily in the Mazovian district, where Warsaw is located. School directors communicated enhanced security measures, including additional staff at entrances and voluntary backpack checks.
Interior Minister Marcin Kierwi’nski emphasized the importance of youth safety, stating, "There will be no compromise here. The safety of the youth is the most important thing." Those detained on Friday included a 14-year-old boy from a central Warsaw district found with a concealed knife and firecrackers, and a 16-year-old who brought a butterfly knife to school. Others had posted online threats or images of weapons.
The government has reported no evidence of an ongoing internet challenge promoting school attacks, and there is no official confirmation linking the two attacks; both perpetrators remain in custody. Parents are now tasked with discussing school violence with their children, while authorities plan to maintain heightened security and organize crisis training. The government has also pledged to renew efforts to pass legislation aimed at blocking harmful online content.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk remarked on the necessity of legal tools to manage online content related to juvenile offenders, stating, "If that juvenile attacker had streamed the crime online today, we would have been unable to block that content because we have not been given that legal tool." After injuring three adults in Thursday’s attack, the 15-year-old, who recorded his actions, was subdued by school director Krzysztof Ochma’nski, who recounted that the boy expressed remorse and sought help during the incident. "Once I had established contact, he asked me for help," Ochma’nski said. "It got to the point where he wanted a hug."