An Indian man living in Dublin has announced plans to leave Ireland after a violent attack by a group of teenagers left him injured and deeply shaken, intensifying fears within the local Indian community.
The victim, who requested anonymity, told The Journal that the assault occurred on Sunday evening as he was walking home from Fairview Park. He said one of three youths riding an electric scooter kicked him in the stomach, and when he tried to walk away, two others joined in.
“They continued kicking and punching even after I fell to the ground,” he said. One attacker allegedly seized his metal water bottle and struck him above the eye, causing a severe laceration that required stitches at a local hospital.
“It all happened so fast,” he recalled. “One moment I was walking home, the next I was on the ground with blood running down my face.”
The Irish police, An Garda Síochána, confirmed they are investigating the assault, which they described as part of a troubling series of recent attacks against members of the Indian community.
The man said his parents in India were horrified upon hearing of the incident and urged him to return home. “They told me to come home immediately and I’m going. I’ve already booked my ticket,” he told PTI. He added that the attack has created a climate of fear among his friends. “Many are scared to go outside now. Some are even planning to return to India because of what’s happening.”
In response to rising concerns, India’s Ambassador to Ireland, Akhilesh Mishra, met on Wednesday with Detective Inspector Tony Tighe of the Liaison and Protection Unit and Inspector Ciaran P. Nunan of An Garda Síochána, the Indian Embassy in Ireland confirmed in a social media statement.
The meeting followed strong condemnation from senior Irish leaders. President Michael D. Higgins on Tuesday denounced the assaults as “despicable,” saying they “stand in stark contradiction to the values that we as a people hold dear.” The Archbishop of Dublin also described the incidents as “truly shocking” and “unprovoked.”
Amid safety concerns, the Ireland India Council has postponed its annual “India Day” celebrations, which had been scheduled for Sunday in Dublin.
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