19-year-old charged with attempting to murder four people in knife attack at Jastrzębie-Zdrój hospital
Damian B., 19, walked into a hospital ward in Jastrzębie-Zdrój on Thursday evening, rattled door handles, then stabbed a doctor, a nurse and two patients with a 15-centimetre kitchen knife. Overpowered by the wounded doctor, he now faces a charge of attempted murder and up to life imprisonment.
The attack
A 19-year-old man entered the Wojewódzki Szpital Specjalistyczny in Jastrzębie-Zdrój after 6 p.m. on Thursday 26 June. He went to the second-floor gastrology-internal medicine ward, tried the handles of several rooms, and moments later pulled out a 15‑centimetre kitchen knife, attacking the first people he encountered.
- Damian B. enters the hospital, goes to the gastrology ward and starts trying door handles
- He pulls out a 15-cm knife and stabs two patients, a nurse and a doctor
- The wounded doctor disarms and restrains him until police arrive
- Prosecutors charge him with attempted murder of four people and file a detention request
The attacker, identified by prosecutors as Damian B., is a local resident with no prior criminal record. Preliminary tests showed he was not drunk but was under the influence of drugs; blood tests will confirm the finding.
Who was hurt
Two female patients, a nurse and a doctor – the head of the general and oncological surgery department, Artur Ploch – were stabbed. Three victims suffered puncture wounds to the chest, and one patient also sustained neck injuries and underwent surgery. The injured nurse, who had a hand wound, has already returned home. All others were in stable condition by Friday afternoon.
This could have happened to any of us.
The wounded doctor himself disarmed the attacker, pinned him down and held him until police arrived. Hospital director Robert Ostrowski later said the doctor “showed a heroic act”.
Investigation and charges
On Friday, Damian B. was brought to the Jastrzębie-Zdrój district prosecutor’s office and charged with the attempted murder of four people. He declined to testify, did not plead guilty, and when questioned by police he claimed to have no memory of the event.
He did not know and most likely had never seen the victims before. They were completely random people.
Prosecutor Jacek Rzeszowski said there is no evidence the suspect or any relative had ever been treated on that ward. Investigators have seized CCTV footage, searched the suspect’s flat and are interviewing witnesses. A request for pre-trial detention was being filed on Friday. The crime carries a sentence of eight years to life in prison.
Security warnings
A year before the attack, hospital staff had written to management warning of safety gaps. Their May 2025 letter described the building as accessible around the clock, with homeless people frequently sheltering in patient toilets and outsiders able to reach wards unchecked. The staff asked for a private security contractor, arguing that waiting for police left patients unattended.
On Friday, medical director Wojciech Kreis announced an order to lock wards where possible, though he admitted this would create other problems. Director Ostrowski said changes were being prepared, including self-defence training and restricted access to wards. Deputy health minister Katarzyna Kacperczyk, responsible for safety in the health system, visited the hospital after the attack.
