Wrocław court jails two men over brutal attack on Ukrainian couple; third suspect still at large

A Wrocław district court ordered three months of pre-trial detention for Adam C., known as “Cycu”, and Tomasz M. on 29 July, following a violent assault on a young Ukrainian couple. Both men face charges of battery and violence motivated by national origin, classified as hooligan offences. A third participant remains unidentified and is being sought by police.

How the attack unfolded

On Sunday 26 July, 20-year-old Anastazja and 21-year-old Maksym stopped at a Żabka shop on Okulickiego Street in the Zakrzów district after a trip to a lake. A group of men pushed in front of them in the queue. When Anastazja objected, the men directed slurs at her. Her mother, Karina Kitsai, later said her daughter was called a “Ukrainian whore”. Outside the shop the three men rushed at Maksym.

First one of them hit my boyfriend, and a minute later I was punched in the face by another. I was hit maybe four times, the last time when my boyfriend was already on the ground and I was trying to lift him up because three people were still beating him.

The final blow tore her ear, which required six stitches. The couple were taken to hospital. The start of the incident was filmed by Anastazja on her phone; the rest was recorded by someone from a window overlooking the car park and quickly circulated on social media.

Detentions and court decisions

Police detained the two men on Monday evening with support from counter-terrorism units and the so-called “head hunters”. One arrest was described as dynamic because the suspect tried to leave Wrocław. On Tuesday the Wrocław Regional Prosecutor’s Office charged 45-year-old Adam C. and 27-year-old Tomasz M. with battery and nationality-motivated violence. The court approved three-month custody for both men on Wednesday, accepting the prosecutor’s argument that there was a risk of witness tampering and flight.

Prosecutor Beata Łęcka said the court granted detention because of the danger of procedural fraud: with one suspect still at large, there was a real concern that the detained men would coordinate a shared version of events. An additional ground was the risk of hiding from justice. Adam C. faces up to 7.5 years in prison because he acted as a repeat offender; Tomasz M. faces up to 5 years.

Both men denied the charges. Tomasz M. gave extensive testimony that prosecutors say does not match the video recordings. Adam C. refused to answer investigators’ questions. During Wednesday’s hearing he claimed he fought back because he was hit, expressed regret, and apologised, though he did not say to whom.

The third suspect and the video evidence

The third attacker is visible on the footage handing his dog to a woman before joining the assault. The Wrocław Municipal Police spokesperson, sub-commissioner Aleksandra Freus, confirmed the manhunt continues. The recording is a central piece of evidence and, according to the prosecutor’s office, contradicts some of the explanations already given.

Defence response

Adam C.’s defence lawyer, Mateusz Królikiewicz, urged the media and politicians not to add “unnecessary odium” to the case. He argued there was no proof the motive was the victims’ origin and insisted the matter should be judged strictly as a criminal act.

I would also appeal to you as the media and to people holding political office not to add unnecessary odium to this case, because the case is serious enough, but let us remember one thing: this is a criminal act, and as a criminal act it should be judged and will be judged.

Background of the main suspect

Adam C., a 45-year-old known in the bare-knuckle fighting community, fought once for the Gromda federation in September 2023 and lost his only official bout. A pre-fight profile described him as a nightclub bouncer who “likes to slam a good pork chop, pump some muscle on the estate bench, drink a cold beer and teach bananas a lesson”. The regional prosecutor’s office confirmed his criminal record. The police investigation is ongoing.