Kasia Nawrocka drew attention during the June 1 gathering for enthusiastically engaging with the crowd, blowing kisses, dancing and forming heart shapes with her hands.
While many viewers found her spontaneity heartwarming, others responded with a torrent of hateful comments on social media.
Experts and child protection advocates have condemned the attacks as a disturbing sign of declining online norms.
'Nothing is sacred anymore’
“This should never have happened in the public space,” said Kinga Szostko, founder of the child safety app KidsAlert and the portal bezpiecznedziecko.org.
Szostko, who works to raise awareness about online abuse, warned that behavior previously considered unacceptable is rapidly becoming normalized.
"If this much hate can be directed at an innocent child ... then clearly nothing is sacred anymore," she said in an interview with Polish state news agency PAP.
Unusually, much of the abuse came from women, Szostko observed.
"Mothers, grandmothers, aunts – what’s going on in the homes of people who post such things about a smiling, dancing child?" she asked.
Szostko suggested that negative reactions to Kasia's behavior may reflect a deeper problem in society. "Maybe we’ve forgotten what a healthy, joyful child looks like," she said. "Maybe we’ve come to expect children to be silent, withdrawn, or glued to a phone."
She expressed concern about the deeply polarized political climate in Poland, warning that unchecked online hostility could escalate into real-world violence.
"Today it’s hateful comments. Tomorrow people could be standing outside polling stations with knives," she said.
Szostko, who has spent over a decade working on child protection, said this episode should not go unpunished. "Consequences must follow for those who participated in this attack," she said. "And we need to remember this isn’t an isolated case. Many children suffer online abuse, often at the hands of adults."
She called for action against fake accounts that enable people to post harmful content without accountability.
'Words can hurt'
Marta Nawrocka, Kasia's mother and the incoming Polish first lady, last week posted a message on Instagram calling for empathy and stronger protection for children on social media.
"The heart of every parent beats for their children," Nawrocka wrote. "A child’s smile, joy, and carefreeness are the most beautiful gifts in life."
Image: Instagram/@marta_nawrocka_
"Let’s pause and remember how words can hurt," she added. "Every child deserves to grow up in a world filled with love and acceptance."
Public figures, celebrities and politicians from across the political spectrum have called for children to be kept out of political conflicts.
(rt/gs)
Source: PAP