Three stabbings at primary, vocational and secondary schools across Poland this week have left one woman dead and several pupils and staff injured. Police say the attacks were driven largely by the online glorification of violence, according to Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
Tusk told a crisis meeting with security services that the incidents were “spontaneous actions inspired by online activity”. He added that a rise in fascination with violence, especially among ultra‑right circles, has become evident in both Poland and globally.
Following the attacks, Polish police searched more than ten thousand schools and detained 117 suspects for possession of knives, threats of violence or intent to attack educational institutions.
One suspect, a 15-year‑old, entered a primary school in Leszczydół‑Nowiny, north of Warsaw, and stabbed a 37‑year‑old caretaker to death before attempting to injure other staff. In a separate case, a 19‑year‑old student attacked a vocational school in the Mazovian province, wounding nine people.
A 17‑year‑old woman was arrested after reportedly threatening to commit violent acts at a school in Warsaw. Authorities have also identified younger individuals who displayed online searches for Nazi imagery and “mass killers who have become idols online.”
In response to the wave of violence, thousands of police officers toured schools nationwide, offering reassurance to pupils and teachers. The government also convened a special meeting after receiving intelligence of a potentially lethal threat against Tusk and Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak‑Kamysz.
The incidents mark a serious spike in knife‑related violence targeting schools, prompting a broader discussion on the influence of extremist content in digital spaces and the need for coordinated national security measures.
