New arrests over fatal assault in Nowa Huta lead to arrests in Poland and Slovakia
New arrests have been made in a fatal assault case recorded in Nowa Huta, Krakow. Police have arrested four additional individuals in connection with the brutal beating of a man in the Willowe housing complex. The operations extended to Slovakia, as communicated by the Minister of the Interior and Administration, Marcin Kierwiński.
Minister Marcin Kierwiński confirmed that four more people have been arrested in connection with the beating that resulted in the death of a man in the Willowe estate in Kraków. According to the minister, the Lesser Poland Police carried out an arrest on August 27, 2026, and three other individuals were captured in Slovakia on August 28, 2026.
Police information indicates that, on the night of August 27, 2026, officers raided an apartment in Nowa Huta to arrest a 19-year-old young man. He is considered one of the suspects of direct involvement in the attack and was sent to the prosecutor’s office in Krakow to be formally charged.
An official statement highlighted the importance of cooperation with Slovak security forces. Through this collaboration, three other suspects involved in the case were detained by local police officers in Slovakia on August 28, 2026.
The arrests were made by the police, while the public prosecutor’s office was responsible for disclosing information about the progress of the case.
Authorities had previously detained 11 people for questioning. However, all of these individuals were released after the first phases of the investigation.
When asked about the previous releases, Anna Zbroja-Zagórska, assistant to the press office of the Kraków Provincial Police, directed questions to the Public Prosecutor’s Office. She explained: “For now, we are detaining some individuals, and it is up to the Public Prosecutor’s Office to decide on their release. The reason for this is not ours to question.” The assistant also stated that “we are certainly conducting a thorough investigation, which involves a large number of police officers.”
Investigation points to connection with organized fan rivalry
The shocking crime took place between the night of August 27 and the early hours of August 28, 2026, at the Willowe housing estate in Nowa Huta. The victim, a 36-year-old man, was attacked by a group of attackers and beaten extremely violently.
Emergency crews and police were alerted by a pedestrian who heard screams in the area overnight. Upon arrival, the pedestrian found the 36-year-old man severely beaten and unconscious. Despite the quick response, the victim did not survive his injuries.
The murder victim was identified as Jakub C., known as “Yankes”, who was a prominent figure and leader of the Hutnik Kraków hooligan group. The police, in turn, direct their searches to members of the Młoda Ferajna group, linked to the organized Wisła Kraków fans, indicating a possible connection between the crime and the rivalry between fan factions.
