A 76-year-old woman suspected of vandalizing a plaque commemorating the victims of the Wola massacre has been arrested

“Police officers from Wola, thanks to the involvement of many officers and large-scale operational and reconnaissance activities, detained a person suspected of yesterday's crime of desecrating a monument. She is a 76-year-old resident of this district. Activities are ongoing,” the capital city police reported on Platform X.

The vandalized plaque by Karol Tchorek is located on Wolska Street at the intersection with Płocka Street. It commemorates the victims of mass executions carried out by Germans on the site of the former Ursus factory. It is one of many commemorative plaques in Warsaw commemorating places of battles and executions from World War II.

The mayor of the Wola district, Krzysztof Strzałkowski, reported on the devastation of the plaque. “And here is how one of Wola's memorial sites dedicated to the Wola massacre was treated tonight by vandals. What must one have in mind to do something like that at a time like this? What brutality and disgrace,” Strzałkowski wrote on the X platform.

Under his post, he posted a photo of the damaged plaque. “I will not let this matter go. The police are on site. I hope that the perpetrators will be quickly identified and convicted. Today, in consultation with the police, we will try to renovate the plaque,” Strzałkowski emphasized.

He added that this is one of the most important places of remembrance. “The Wola district is in constant contact with the police, who secured traces at the site. The perpetrators are being sought,” the mayor of Wola noted.

The mayor of Warsaw later commented on the matter. Rafal Trzaskowskiwho reported that at night, after the ceremony, one of the memorial sites was destroyed by vandals. He added that the historic plaque was cleaned by a specialist company.

“Yesterday, Warsaw residents walked through the streets of Wola paying tribute to thousands of civilian victims murdered by the Germans. At night, after the ceremonies, one of the memorial sites was destroyed by vandals,” Trzaskowski wrote on the X platform.

“Immediately after the police officers had completed their activities, the historic plaque was cleaned by a specialist company. Whoever committed this disgraceful act must be held accountable,” he added.

Sergeant Małgorzata Staniszewska from the Wola police headquarters informed that the police secured evidence at the scene and are looking for witnesses. She added that the officers' actions are being conducted in the direction of Article 261 of the Penal Code, which is insulting a plaque. This is punishable by a fine or restriction of freedom.

The massacre of the residents of the capital city of Wola lasted from 5 to 7 August 1944. According to various estimates, between 40 and 60 thousand residents of the district were killed in mass executions. The people were shot and the bodies of the dead were burned.

The large-scale extermination ended on August 7, but continued on a smaller scale until August 12, when General Erich von dem Bach-Zelewski, who commanded the operation to suppress the Warsaw Uprising, issued a ban on the murder of civilians.

After the war, none of the perpetrators of this crime were held accountable. For many years, the crimes committed in Wola were not adequately commemorated. It was not until 2004 that the monument to the Victims of the Wola Massacre was unveiled in the square at the fork of Solidarności Avenue and Leszno Street, which is called the Monument to 50 Thousand. In 2010, the Warsaw Council established August 5 as the Day of Remembrance for the Residents of Wola.