Polish psychologist witnesses attack on Ukrainian shop worker in Poland

Attack on the sales floor

An incident of overt aggression against a Ukrainian employee of the Żabka retail chain was recorded in Poland. According to a witness, two men and one woman surrounded a young salesperson, began insulting him due to his nationality, and threatened him with physical violence.

The witness to the event was Polish psychologist Anna Prokop. She was in the store, rushing to catch a train to Brussels. While selecting products, the woman heard loud screams from behind a shelf. The aggressors were shouting aggressively: “Ти українська…” (You are Ukrainian…) and “Я тебе зараз уб’ю” (I will kill you right now).

Witness reaction and attempt to intervene

Since Anna could not immediately see the source of the conflict, she called 112. While on the phone, she was afraid that the attackers would hear her conversation. She wanted the operator to at least hear what was happening in the background.

Approaching closer, the woman saw how two large men and a woman had surrounded a slim young employee. One of the men behaved particularly aggressively: he was waving his arms, bringing his face close to the salesperson, as if he was about to hit him.

To distract the aggressors' attention, Anna Prokop stated that she urgently needed to pay at the checkout, as a small child was waiting for her at home. The men reacted rudely to her words, but briefly shifted their attention to the witness.

Threats to return after the shift

The salesperson was allowed to serve Anna, but the attackers continued to watch him and repeat their threats. Before leaving, they stated that they knew the employee's work schedule and would return after the end of his shift.

After making sure the aggressors had left the sales floor, Anna called the police again. She handed the phone to the affected employee, told him what had happened, left her contact details, and agreed to provide testimony.

Causes of the conflict and expert comment

Later, Anna learned from other staff members that the conflict may have started after an attempted theft. One of the visitors tried to steal coffee, which the salesperson managed to confiscate. According to the witness's version, the woman then returned accompanied by two men, and that is when the insults and threats began.

In a conversation with the publication LifeHack Poland, Anna Prokop, who works as a psychologist in Poland, explained the motives behind her intervention. She spoke about the psychological impact of such situations on victims and witnesses, emphasising that it is unacceptable to remain indifferent when someone is being threatened.