The Ministry of the Interior and Administration said false claims circulating on social media suggested that a 12-year-old girl detained in the case was a Ukrainian citizen.
The ministry’s spokeswoman, Karolina Gałecka, rejected that claim, calling it deliberate disinformation that feeds on tragedy and stirs hostility between Poles and Ukrainians.
Alongside the nationality claim, another false narrative alleged that authorities were concealing the suspect’s “real” age, asserting she was 14.
NASK, Poland’s state cybersecurity and research institute, said the speed and reach of these stories may point to an attempt to amplify anti-Ukrainian moods.
Among those amplifying the conspiracy content was a social media personality described as a promoter of conspiracy theories, who told viewers he had used OSINT, short for open-source intelligence, a legal method of gathering information from publicly available sources, to determine the girl’s “true” nationality.
In one recording he suggested that a public denial could itself be taken as a sign of government manipulation. His material attracted hundreds of thousands of views across platforms, according to figures cited in the report.
The Lower Silesian police said on Monday they had identified two people suspected of publishing online content that incited hatred on the basis of nationality.
Police said officers searched one location and seized a phone allegedly used to post content that could meet the elements of an offense under Article 256 of Poland’s Criminal Code, which carries a penalty of up to three years in prison.
Investigators did not identify the suspects.
The victim was found dead on December 15 near a school in Jelenia Góra, a city in Lower Silesia in southwestern Poland.
Prosecutors said the 11-year-old had injuries caused by a sharp tool. On Tuesday, the District Prosecutor’s Office announced that a 12-year-old girl had been detained. Officials said the two girls attended the same school and knew each other by sight.
A motive has not been established.
The criminal case involving the 12-year-old is being handled under procedures for minors.
A judge at the Jelenia Góra District Court said the matter is being heard behind closed doors and that the court had ordered a temporary measure for the child, without disclosing details.
Under Polish rules for children under 13, family courts conduct proceedings focused on demoralisation, and temporary measures can include placement in a youth educational centre, a treatment facility, or supervision by a probation officer, legal experts told Polish media.
(rt/gs)
Source: IAR, PAP