17-year-old Ukrainian loses his finger in brutal attack in Poland

Police in Krakow have detained three teenagers involved in the beating of a 17-year-old Ukrainian citizen Artem, who suffered a head injury and lost a thumb on his left hand.

As reported by TVN24, the incident occurred last week. The Ukrainian's mother says that he and his friends went to the Zakrzewek reservoir in Krakow to swim because of the heat.

At some point, another group of teenagers approached the group. When one of Artem's friends stood up, he was punched in the face. Artem stood up to defend him, pulling the attacker back. By this time, another friend had managed to get the girls of the group to safety.

"When they used tear gas, I tried to run away. Then a man with a machete ran after me. He hit me on the head and on my finger. He didn't stop hitting me, but somehow, I broke free and jumped into the water. Everything happened so fast that it's hard for me to remember what the attackers looked like," he says.

Artem was pulled out of the water by his friends, who also called for help. He was taken to hospital with injuries to his head and arm. He underwent surgery. "My son lost a lot of blood. Unfortunately, the thumb of his left hand could not be saved," adds the boy's mother.

On Monday, 15 July, the police in Poland's Małopolska Voivodeship announced the detention of three suspects aged 15, 16 and 17. The youngest of them has already been prosecuted for criminal offences.

"During the search of the apartment where the 17-year-old boy [suspect] lived, an object was found and seized, which was most likely used to strike the victim, a Ukrainian citizen," the statement said.

All three were charged with involvement in a beating with a dangerous object. The relevant article of the Polish Criminal Code provides for imprisonment for six months to eight years.

The 17-year-old suspect, who will be tried as an adult, was remanded in custody for three months. Krakow police say that others may be brought to justice as well.

Last month, law enforcement officers in Warsaw detained two Poles who attacked and beat two Ukrainians with a knife.