Drunk man attacks Ukrainian and two Poles in Gdańsk
A drunk man has attacked a Ukrainian passer-by and two Polish citizens, whom he called "Banderites", in Gdańsk, Poland. ["Banderite" is a pejorative term derived from the name of Ukrainian nationalist leader Stepan Bandera and is widely used in Russian propaganda to label Ukrainians or supporters of Ukrainian statehood – ed.]
Source: Onet, citing Gdańsk police, as reported by European Pravda
Details: The incident occurred on the grounds of some allotments on Modra Street. According to the law enforcement agencies, the man drove up in a Volkswagen and started to behave aggressively, accelerating and braking sharply.
At one point the man noticed a passer-by and, according to police, took exception to the fact that the man had looked at him. He asked whether the man had previously reported him to the police. When the man answered no and he detected an "Eastern European accent", he began insulting him and attempted to assault him. The victim, a Ukrainian citizen, managed to get away.
The attacker then approached two other allotment tenants – a father and son, both Polish citizens. According to police, he called them "Banderites", behaved aggressively, and began to assault the men. One of them sustained a broken arm as a result of the attack.
The man then drove off, but was detained by the police later that day.
At the time of detention, his blood alcohol level was found to be over 1.5 per mille. Police are also checking whether he was under the influence of drugs.
In the course of the investigation it emerged that the man did not hold a driving licence.
He has been charged with inflicting bodily harm resulting in incapacity for more than seven days, use of racist insults, and driving a vehicle under the influence of alcohol.
The case has been classified as an act of hooliganism, for which the offender faces up to seven and a half years' imprisonment. The Gdańsk prosecutor's office has placed the man under police supervision. He has also been banned from approaching or contacting the victims.
Background:
- A group of Polish men recently attacked a young Ukrainian couple in Wrocław, reportedly upon hearing their accent. The perpetrators were remanded in custody for three months.
- In response to these events, Poland's Interior Ministry stressed that such acts would meet with an appropriate response from law enforcement agencies. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called on President Karol Nawrocki to "break his silence".
- Ukraine's ambassador to Poland, Vasyl Bodnar, stated that there have been a considerable number of attacks on Ukrainians in Poland since 2022, but people have learned to defend themselves.
Your support on Patreon helps us keep the news free and accessible.