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Poland orders safety checks at scout camps after 15-year-old's death

28.07.2025 16:55
Poland’s education minister has ordered additional inspections of 300 ongoing and upcoming scout camps following the death of a 15-year-old boy during a nighttime swimming challenge.
Polands education minister Barbara Nowacka has scheduled a meeting with regional school supervisors and scouting organizations on Monday, 28 July, following the death of a 15-year-old boy from south-western Poland, who drowned while completing a scouting task.
Poland's education minister Barbara Nowacka has scheduled a meeting with regional school supervisors and scouting organizations on Monday, 28 July, following the death of a 15-year-old boy from south-western Poland, who drowned while completing a scouting task.Photo: PAP/Paweł Supernak/Facebook/II LO w Świdnicy

The Ministry of Education announced on Monday that it will also revise national safety regulations for summer activities involving children and youth.

The statement came after meetings with regional education supervisors and representatives of scouting organizations held in response to the fatal incident.

“Children’s safety is our top priority,” said Education Minister Barbara Nowacka. “Together, we will work out solutions to improve safety standards for those attending summer camps.”

She added that existing rules, such as those governing access to mobile phones during camps, may need to be clarified or updated.

At the same time, Nowacka stressed the continued educational value of scouting in Poland.

“The scouting movement plays a vital role in shaping young people,” she said. “But times have changed, and safety requirements must evolve accordingly.”

Representatives of scout organizations present at the meeting expressed support for the government’s efforts and pledged full cooperation.

Fatal lake incident raises questions

The victim, 15-year-old Dominik, was a member of ZHR (Związek Harcerstwa Rzeczypospolitej) - one of two main scouting organizations in Poland. ZHR, which emerged in the late 1980s as a conservative breakaway from the state-affiliated scouting movement during communist rule, is considered more right-wing and traditionalist, with a strong emphasis on Catholic values and discipline. It has around 15,000 members nationwide.

The country’s largest scouting organization is ZHP (Związek Harcerstwa Polskiego), which has approximately 100,000 members. ZHP is generally more secular and centrist, and maintains affiliations with international scouting bodies such as WOSM and WAGGGS.

In response to the tragedy, ZHR declared a month-long mourning period across all its local units.

Rozkazem specjalnym L2/2025 Przewodniczącej ZHR z dnia 24 lipca 2025 wprowadzona zostaje miesięczna żałoba we wszystkich...

Opublikowany przez ZHR Czwartek, 24 lipca 2025

Dominik, a high-achieving student at High School No. 2 in Świdnica, southwestern Poland, drowned last week in Lake Ośno, near the village of Wilcze in western Poland, while completing a nighttime challenge intended to earn him a scouting badge. He was reportedly fully dressed in uniform, including heavy boots, at the time of the incident.

Odszedł nasz uczeń. Z głębokim smutkiem żegnamy Dominika Muszewskiego z klasy 1A – utalentowanego, pełnego pasji...

Opublikowany przez II Liceum Ogólnokształcące w Świdnicy Czwartek, 24 lipca 2025

His 21-year-old troop leader, Marek G., and a 19-year-old lifeguard, Igor K., are facing charges of involuntary manslaughter and endangering others. According to the District Prosecutor’s Office in Poznań, both could face up to five years in prison. Prosecutors are also examining whether Dominik’s parents were adequately informed about the nature and risks of the activity.

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Source: MEN/IAR/ZHR/Facebook.com/IILOSwidnica