Polish police deny internet challenge link to recent school knife attacks

Separate knife attacks at Polish schools this week have drawn nationwide attention. Police issued a statement rejecting claims that the incidents were part of an internet “challenge,” noting that no verification of such a phenomenon exists and urging the public to rely on reliable sources. The first assault occurred on Thursday morning in Leszczydole-Nowiny, where 15-year-old Wiktor S. entered a primary school and fatally stabbed a 37-year-old caretaker; the attacker was overpowered by the school director with a teacher’s help, both sustaining injuries.

The second incident unfolded at the Adam Chętnik Vocational School in Ostrołęka, where a 19-year-old pupil stabbed eight individuals, two seriously, with several victims taken to hospitals in Łomża and Ostrołęka. The motives of the Ostrołęka assailant are still under investigation. Police across the country, especially the Central Bureau of Crime Prevention, are actively tracking any disturbing online activity and warn that inciting panic carries criminal liability.