18-year-old Ukrainian charged with attempted murder after knife attack on Polish woman in Wrocław

The attack

On Saturday, 1 August, around 9 p.m., an 18-year-old Ukrainian citizen attacked a 30-year-old Polish woman with a knife in the stairwell of a residential building on ul. Gagarina in Wrocław's Muchobór Wielki estate. The suspect, later identified as Dmytro M., followed the woman into the building and stabbed her multiple times in the neck and chest. Neighbours who heard the commotion rushed to help, trying to keep the victim conscious until paramedics arrived. The attacker fled but was apprehended by criminal police from the Fabryczna station shortly afterward.

The woman is currently in hospital in a life-threatening condition. Shortly after the incident, officers from the criminal division detained the attacker. He is an 18-year-old Ukrainian citizen.

Arrest and charges

On Monday, 3 August, the suspect was brought before the District Prosecutor's Office for Wrocław-Fabryczna. Jakub Dłubacz, spokesperson for the Wrocław Regional Prosecutor’s Office (Prokuratura Okręgowa we Wrocławiu), announced that Dmytro M. had been charged with attempted murder by inflicting stab wounds to vital areas, including the neck and chest. The suspect did not confess and refused to provide any explanation regarding his motive or the course of events.

The suspect did not admit to the alleged act and declined to give explanations, both as to the reason and the course of the incident.

The charge carries a penalty of no less than 10 years' imprisonment, up to life. The prosecutor, arguing that only an isolation measure would secure the proceedings, filed a request with the District Court for Wrocław-Fabryczna for three months' pre-trial detention.

Victim's condition

The 30-year-old woman was taken to the Military Hospital in Wrocław in a life-threatening condition immediately after the attack. By Monday, her condition had improved sufficiently for her to be discharged. A hospital spokesperson told TVN24 that the patient left in good general condition and did not require further hospitalisation. Earlier, police had described her state as critical.

Reactions

The Ukrainian Consulate General in Wrocław issued a statement on Sunday afternoon, expressing regret over the incident and firmly condemning all forms of violence. The consulate stressed that the perpetrator should be held accountable under Polish law and noted that the overwhelming majority of Ukrainians in Poland are law-abiding residents who work, study, and pay taxes.

We firmly condemn all manifestations of violence and aggression, regardless of who is the perpetrator and who is the victim. A person who commits a crime should be held accountable in accordance with the applicable law of the Republic of Poland.

Polish Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński also commented on the case via social media, praising the police response and declaring zero tolerance for criminals and hatred.

The perpetrator has been detained. Good job by the police. Zero tolerance for criminals and hatred.

What happens next

The prosecutor's request for pre-trial detention is now before the court. If granted, Dmytro M. will remain in custody for up to three months while the investigation continues. The suspect and the victim did not know each other. According to the victim’s account, reported by Polish outlets, the man had asked her for directions on the bus, then followed her from the stop and entered the stairwell right behind her. The investigation is ongoing.