Theft and racism at a workplace in Poland

3 years back in Poland, I sometimes hear of things being stolen, but had not experienced it personally in that time. Untill last week when my fairly expesive silk scarf went missing whilst at work. After a lot of thought I have narrowed it to one day when a reasonably pleasant, albeit slightly nervous young Ukrainian lady sat close by to where I keep my backpack. She seemed nice. Maybe a little flustered if a girl cant be creepy. Am I risking my life joining any dots?! Or get over it, buy a new one?! Thoughts?

Go to a manager and ask what the protocol is for reporting a theft. Then just report the bare facts that you had an item go missing at work. Don't accuse her directly. You'll find that if she is 'on the thieve' as our London friends might say, things may go missing from other people and eventually the trail will lead to her.

That's what happened in an office I worked in years ago. I only learned that people were having things nicked when I was called into the manager's office and asked whether I'd had anything go missing or felt that my belongings had been interfered with. As it turns out I hadn't. But by the end of a day of interviews they'd found the guilty party and he was sacked on the spot. He was a real 'butter wouldn't melt in his mouth' type too, all collar and tie and yes sir, no sir, three bags full sir, so you never can tell.

Oh and I just remembered another one. I had a summer job in a shop and the security guard was a plain clothes guy and had to watch the shop floor when the sales girl went to lunch and was supposed to call her if there was a customer. (The shop had three floors). Anyway he was serving the customers and taking the money for the items, but he'd pretend the till was broken, say he was the manager and there was no problem if they needed to return it, then pocket the money. He was tumbled when a customer actually did try to return an item and came in with no receipt and asked for the manager only to be met by the real manager! And he was a religious, born again something-or-other whose excuse was he was taking the money to give to the church!!

If 2 plus 2 always made 4 we'd have the answers to the world's problems. Seeing as you're not going to accuse her to her face, and don't have any proof, just write it off?

Go out and buy a replica - leave it next to her again, and wait and see what happens.
If the second one disappears too, then you a have a serial scarf thief. A little trial and error, or establishing a controlled experiment, doesn't help at all, but might make you feel better.