Krakow. He was attacked with a machete at a swimming pool. A collection has been created for his rehabilitation

A dramatic event took place on July 10 in the evening near the Zalew Zakrzówek in the Ruczaj district of Krakow. According to the injured boy, at one point three teenagers approached him, shouting various slogans. When one of his friends got up, he was punched in the face. Artem stood up for him, hitting the attacker back.

– When they used tear gas, I started to run away. Then a man with a machete ran after me. He hit me in the head and on the finger. He didn't stop beating me, but somehow I escaped and jumped into the water. Everything happened so quickly that it's hard for me to even remember what the attackers looked like – says Artem.

The bloodied teenager was taken to hospital with head and hand wounds. He underwent surgery. “Unfortunately, the thumb of his left hand could not be saved,” Vita Shevchenko, the mother of the 17-year-old, told us.

The police have detained three suspects, boys aged 15, 16 and 17. A weapon was found in the 17-year-old's apartment, which was most likely used to inflict the blows. All three have been charged with participation in a beating with a dangerous weapon.

“The perpetrators were charged with a hooligan act, which will result in a more severe sentence. Additionally, the oldest perpetrator was charged with causing bodily harm,” reads the Krakow City Police Headquarters in a statement.

The 17-year-old, who will be tried as an adult, was temporarily arrested for three months.

The Consulate General also dealt with the matter. Ukraine in Cracow.

– We contacted the mother and told her that she could come for a consultation at any time. If necessary, we also offered the family legal assistance, and we can provide it. We gave the mother the contact details of a 24-hour hotline and told her that she could call at any time – said Vyacheslav Voynarovskyi, Consul General of Ukraine in Krakow.

– The consulate helped us contact the person who is running the collection. The doctors do not say yet how long my son's rehabilitation will take, none of the stitches have been removed yet – says Artem's mother.

A former Krakow city councilor has launched a fundraiser for the rehabilitation of an injured 17-year-old.

– I read about the whole situation, about his injuries and I thought that he would probably need some rehabilitation. So that's why I did this fundraiser. I called Artem's mother and asked for permission. The fundraiser ends on Sunday, then the entire amount will be given to the family – says Łukasz Wantuch, a social activist, in an interview with tvn24.pl.

As Artem says, he did not expect such a response. – I cannot describe it in words, I was very surprised that so many people decided to help me. I was very surprised that Poles apologize for the behavior of their compatriots – says Artem.

As Łukasz Wantuch says, the family initially did not want to accept the money. – They were very moved, because at first Artem said that he wanted the money to go to the “Ohmatdyt” hospital in Kiev. I advised against it and said that he would also need it for rehabilitation – adds the organizer of the fundraiser.

Artem finally decided to share the money with others in need. – However, I decided to donate some of the money to orphanages in Poland – adds Artem.

So far, 167,407 złoty has been collected for the rehabilitation of the 17-year-old. The collection will last until Sunday, July 21. The collection for the boy is supported by Poles, Ukrainians, people of culture and others.

“We should raise money to help Artyom get better. He is our guest, a guest of Poland and Poles, and he has been terribly wronged by members of our community,” Jacek Dehnel, a writer, wrote on social media.

As Dehnel added in the next entry, “the collection for Artiom, who survived the brutal attack by a group of young bandits in Zakrzówek, thanks to your generosity exceeded PLN 100,000 – and that is very good, because rehabilitation after such serious wounds is long and expensive”