English Section

Poland summons German diplomat over attack on Pole in Munich

23.08.2023 23:00
Poland’s foreign ministry has summoned a diplomat from the German embassy for talks “in connection with a brutal assault on a Polish citizen” at a subway station in Munich, it said on Wednesday.
Photo:
Photo:PAP/Albert Zawada

The move came after German media outlets a day earlier reported that a young Polish man had been violated at a subway station in the southwestern city of Munich, Polish state news agency PAP reported.

German police arrested a 20-year-old man from Afghanistan on suspicion of having committed the crime, according to officials. 

After the meeting with the German diplomat, Poland’s foreign ministry said in a statement that "the German side was made aware that such situations may happen again in the future.”

“It was emphasised that an effective information campaign must be carried out as a matter of urgency, in order to highlight the potential danger of ... such criminal acts, including against Polish citizens,” the Polish foreign ministry said. 

Poland also offered to help with organising "an information drive" if necessary, according to officials. 

Poland’s foreign ministry asked German authorities to liaise with Polish consular services in Munich to ensure the Polish citizen harmed in Tuesday’s attack is provided with comprehensive assistance, the PAP news agency reported. 

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said Poland would ask Germany to immediately include Polish prosecutors in the investigation into the attack on the Polish man in Munich, public broadcaster Polish Radio’s IAR news agency reported.

The Polish prime minister wrote on Facebook: “A young Pole was raped by an immigrant from Afghanistan. Such are the consequences of the ‘open borders policy’ pursued by the European Union … Is this the kind of Europe that we want in Poland?"

“We are one of the safest countries on the continent," Morawiecki also said, adding that his government was channeling "huge funds into the army, police and the protection of Poland's borders.”

The incident in Munich happened at the city's Max-Weber-Platz metro station, the IAR news agency reported.

The attacker also stole the Polish man’s wallet and mobile phone, which later enabled police to track him down, according to officials. 

Meanwhile, Poland’s embassy in Berlin said that Polish consular officials in Munich were liaising with local police “to establish the circumstances of the incident.”

(pm/gs)

Source: IAR, PAP, gov.pl