In Poland, a man has been charged with assaulting a 15-year-old boy for speaking Ukrainian

In the Polish city of Płock, the public prosecutor’s office has launched an investigation following an attack on a 15-year-old Ukrainian boy on public transport. According to the teenager, an adult man became aggressive after hearing Ukrainian being spoken and claimed that only Polish should be spoken in Poland. RBC-Ukraine reported on the incident, citing the Polish television channel TVP Warszawa.

According to the victim, the altercation took place on the No. 3 bus. A stranger approached the teenager and his friend and made a remark about the language they were speaking.

“He simply told us that in Poland we should speak Polish,” said the 15-year-old Ukrainian.

After that, according to the teenager, the man began to behave aggressively. He struck him with the palm of his hand, and after the bus stopped and the doors opened, he forcibly pushed the teenager and his friend out of the bus.

“He was acting very aggressively, swearing constantly and pushing us out of the bus,” said the victim.

The teenager’s mother fears for his safety

Following the incident, the teenager’s mother, Natalya Melnik, said that she is now worried about her son and fears similar situations in the future.

“I don’t feel safe in Płock. I’m afraid to speak my own language; I’m really afraid,” said the woman.

According to her, since the attack she has become particularly anxious whenever her son takes a long time to answer his phone.

“Now, when I ring him and he doesn’t pick up on the first go, I get really on edge and can’t work properly,” admitted the teenager’s mother.

The public prosecutor’s office is establishing the identity of the attacker

The district prosecutor’s office in Płock has launched an investigation. Investigators have already interviewed the minor’s legal representative and a witness to the incident. Prosecutor Marcin Policewicz reported that law enforcement officers are carrying out the necessary investigative procedures and are attempting to identify the man who attacked the teenagers. Following this, a decision will be made on whether to bring charges against him.

The incident occurred against a backdrop of changing attitudes towards Ukrainians

The attack took place at a time when discussions within Polish society regarding attitudes towards Ukrainian refugees are intensifying. According to the latest poll by the Centre for Public Opinion Research (CBOS), 54 per cent of Poles believe that the aid provided to Ukraine and Ukrainians is excessive.