Indian attacked in Ireland: In yet another incident highlighting the growing concern over racial violence in Ireland, a 60-year-old Indian man was racially harassed by a minor in Dublin, in front of his daughters. The attack is the latest in a series of recent assaults targeting the Indian community, prompting outrage and urgent calls for stronger measures to ensure safety.
The family had been waiting at a bus stop in Dublin, as stated by a Reddit user who posted it from a friend of the victim, when two boys aged seven or eight came up to them. At first, the children had asked for selfies with the old man, but soon started taunting him. One of them reportedly attempted to take his wallet, and another stood in front of him and used an obscene gesture. “We tried to stay calm and ignored their behaviour. But then, shockingly, one boy blocked my father’s way and made grabbing gestures toward his crotch,” the woman recounted. The family, aware of the legal limitations in dealing with minors, said they felt “defenceless” and “frustrated” by the lack of immediate recourse.
Wave Of Racially Motivated Attacks
This incident comes in the wake of a grim increase in racially motivated attacks on Indians in Ireland. A six-year-old Indian-origin girl was attacked by some teens earlier this week in Waterford. The attackers reportedly spat at her, punched her, pushed a bike into her intimate region, and uttered racial abuses like “Dirty Indian, go back to India. The mother of the girl, an Irish citizen and a nurse, termed the attack as “unprovoked and unacceptable,” requesting mandatory counselling and respect-awareness sessions for children engaging in such behavior. “I know they are kids, but they need to learn how to treat other people,” she stated.
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Recent Hate Crime Cases In Ireland
Over the past few weeks, several incidents have been reported:
• An Indian man was assaulted and half-stripped in Tallaght in a suspected racist attack.
• Indian-origin data scientist Dr Santosh Yadav was attacked by teenagers in Dublin.
• Taxi driver Lakhvir Singh was injured after being attacked by two men who pretended to be passengers.
• Indian hotel chef Laxman Das was robbed and attacked in Dublin by three suspects who ran off with his possessions.
Police and Embassy Response
Ireland’s Garda National Diversity Unit confirmed that there are indeed investigations into the attacks currently underway and is in contact with the Federation of Indian Communities in Ireland (FICI) to speak about safety issues. The Garda will also be present at future Indian Independence Day celebrations to “offer assistance and reassurance.”
Indian diaspora leaders have called on Irish authorities to step up law enforcement, enhance community awareness campaigns, and adopt educational campaigns to stop xenophobia. “My daughter is six years old. No child should have to endure this,” said the mother of the little victim in Waterford, whose concerns reflect those of the many Indians in Ireland now living in fear.