An Indian man living in Dublin has said he will return to India after being assaulted by a group of teenagers in Fairview Park over the weekend — the latest in a series of attacks targeting the Indian community in Ireland.
The man, who chose not to be named, told The Journal that the attack happened at around 5:30 p.m. on August 10, while he was walking home. One teenager on an electric scooter allegedly kicked him in the stomach. As he tried to walk away, two others joined in, hitting him repeatedly until he fell to the ground, where they continued to kick and punch him.
One of the attackers reportedly struck him above the eye with his metal water bottle, causing a cut and bleeding.
Despite people being nearby, no one intervened. Two male teenagers eventually helped and called the gardaí (local police).
He was taken to a hospital where he received eight stitches.
Gardaí confirmed they are investigating and have appealed for witnesses to contact Clontarf Garda Station, the Garda Confidential Line at 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.
The victim claimed many of his friends in Dublin’s Indian community are now “scared to go outside” and some are planning to return to India. His parents urged him to come home, and he has already arranged his departure in the coming days.
He has requested an extension from his university to finish his thesis online.
He expressed disappointment with the Indian Embassy’s response, saying his brother contacted them after the assault, but, beyond a request to email details of the incident, there had been no follow-up.
Earlier this month, the Indian Embassy in Ireland issued an advisory noting “an increase in the instances of physical attacks reported against Indian citizens in Ireland recently” and advising citizens to “take reasonable precautions for their personal security and avoid deserted areas, especially in odd hours.”
The Ireland India Council has called the attack “deeply disturbing” and demanded urgent action.
“Over the weekend, an Indian national was brutally assaulted in Dublin’s Fairview Park. He was kicked, punched, and struck in the face. Traumatised, he now plans to leave Ireland. His friends say they are afraid to even step outside,” it said.
The council urged local police to identify and prosecute the attackers and called for “stronger measures to protect minority communities from hate-motivated violence, along with a united stand from all in Irish society against hatred in every form.”
On Tuesday, Ireland’s President Michael D. Higgins condemned what he called “despicable” attacks on members of the Indian community.
“Their presence, their work, their culture, have been a source of enrichment and generosity to our shared life,” said President Higgins, expressing a “deep sense of gratitude” to the Indian community for their contribution to Irish society in medicine, nursing, the caring professions, cultural life, business, and enterprise.
He warned that such assaults “diminish all of us and obscure the immeasurable benefits the people of India have brought to the life of this country,” adding that Ireland has “long been shaped by migration, both outward and inward” and that those leaving Ireland “often depended on the generosity of strangers.”
“That any person in Ireland, particularly any young person, should be drawn into such behaviour through manipulation or provocation is to be unequivocally condemned,” Higgins said. “Whether such provocation stems from ignorance or from malice, it is essential to acknowledge the harm that it is causing.”
The Irish police said the spate of recent assaults on Indian nationals is being “fully and thoroughly investigated.”
India Day, an annual event celebrating Ireland’s Indian community has been called off this year following a spate of recent attacks targeting Indian nationals and people of Indian origin.