Two Men Face Prison After Brutal Attack on Ukrainian Couple in Poland’s Wrocław

Two men arrested over the brutal assault of a Ukrainian couple in the Polish city of Wrocław face up to five years in prison as prosecutors investigate the attack as a possible hate crime.

The suspects are accused of assault and violence motivated by national intolerance, Wrocław District Prosecutor’s Office spokesperson Jakub Dłubacz told Ukrinform on Tuesday.

They are expected to be questioned and formally charged at the Wrocław-Psie Pole District Prosecutor’s Office. A third suspect believed to have taken part in the attack remains at large, with police continuing efforts to locate and arrest him.

The assault took place on Sunday in Wrocław’s Zakrzów district. According to Ukrainian officials, a young Ukrainian couple was walking home after visiting a nearby store when several men began following them because of their accent.

The attackers caught up with the couple near their car. According to the footage taken by the witnesses, the attackers knocked the man to the ground and kicked him repeatedly before turning on his partner, who tried to intervene. The woman was punched several times in the face and head.

The attackers fled the scene, while both victims were taken to hospital. Doctors suspected they had suffered concussions, and the woman required stitches for an ear injury. 

Police launched a search for the perpetrators and are investigating whether the attack was motivated by anti-Ukrainian hatred.

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The Ukrainian Consulate General in Wrocław called on Polish authorities to respond swiftly, saying that incidents of violence and aggression targeting Ukrainians in Poland have recently increased.

“Every such case requires a thorough investigation and proper legal assessment,” the consulate said in a statement.

Polish broadcaster Radio Wrocław reported, however, that the confrontation may have started over a dispute in a store queue, while police have so far described the national motive as only a possible line of investigation.

According to Polish media, the two arrested suspects are aged 27 and 45. One reportedly has a criminal record, while the other is linked to football hooligan circles. Both are involved in mixed martial arts competitions.

One of the suspects attempted to leave Wrocław after the attack but was detained by officers from Poland’s counterterrorism police unit.