In a deeply disturbing incident in Waterford, Ireland, a six-year-old Indian-origin girl was allegedly assaulted by a group of boys in what is being described as a racist attack.
The young child was playing outside her home on Monday evening when she was verbally and physically attacked. The assailants, believed to be between the ages of 12 and 14, reportedly shouted slurs including “Dirty Indian, go back to India” and used abusive language before physically assaulting her.
The girl’s mother, a nurse who has lived in Ireland for eight years and recently acquired Irish citizenship, recounted the incident in an interview with the Irish Mirror. She said her daughter was playing just outside their home when the attack happened. “They said the F word and ‘Dirty Indian, go back to India’,” she said, visibly shaken.
The attackers, which also included a girl around eight years old, allegedly punched the child in the face and neck, pulled her hair, and pushed a bicycle wheel into her private parts, leaving her injured and traumatized. The girl returned home in tears, unable to speak initially due to shock and fear. Her friends, also frightened, confirmed the brutal details to her mother.
“She was crying uncontrollably. I had never seen her in such a state. Her friends told me that five boys had hit her and targeted her private parts with a cycle,” the mother said, adding that she had only gone inside for a few minutes to feed her 10-month-old son.
The family had moved to the area in January and said they had not faced any issues until this incident. Just days earlier, the same child was reportedly targeted in another racially motivated act by different children in the locality.
This incident marks what is believed to be the first documented racist attack on a child of Indian origin in Ireland. It follows closely after two other attacks on Indian men in Dublin — one in Tallaght and the other in Clondalkin — both reportedly random and unprovoked.
The Indian community in Ireland has expressed deep concern over the rising number of hate incidents. In response, the Indian embassy in Dublin has issued an advisory urging Indian nationals to remain vigilant and exercise caution.
