In a prestigious high school in Warsaw, a Ukrainian student was bullied. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine calls for exemplary punishment for xenophobia
Poland is investigating the bullying of 15-year-old Daria Hladyr, daughter of former Ukrainian national volleyball team player Yuriy Hladyr.
Yuriy Hladyr and daughter Daria. Photo: social media
The girl was repeatedly insulted at the prestigious Warsaw lyceum TE Vizja, where she currently studies, writes onet.pl. Other students sent her offensive and vulgar voice messages. «15 people hate you,» «Get out, you f***ing Ukrainian» — they wrote to her. According to the family, teenagers created a closed group on social media to bully Daria.
The girl was eventually removed from school, out of concern for her psychological state. After publications in Polish media, Warsaw police became interested in the case. And the lyceum management unexpectedly expelled Daria from school.
The situation caught the attention of Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha. He urged Poland to punish those who express xenophobic attitudes towards Ukrainians.
«It's regrettable that we have to repeatedly return to cases of disgraceful treatment of Ukrainians in Poland. But such an attitude, as towards Daria, is absolutely unacceptable,»
— wrote Sybiha on Facebook. —
«I raised this issue in negotiations with my Polish counterpart [Polish Foreign Minister] Radosław Sikorski two days ago in Poland during the visit of the President of Ukraine. I received assurances that the Polish side is reacting and will react appropriately.»
«It is in our common interest to prevent and react to such hostility. As the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, I insist on a just punishment for those who allow themselves xenophobic acts against Ukrainians, both in Poland and in other countries. The Ukrainian people certainly do not deserve such treatment.
I believe that a few exemplary cases of accountability for such actions are capable of showing everyone else that similar behavior cannot and will never be the norm in a civilized European society.
The entire consular vertical has been instructed to particularly closely monitor all such cases and to react promptly and fundamentally, protecting the rights of our people. We will not tolerate this,» Sybiha added.