A six-year-old Indian-origin girl was the victim of a horrifying racist assault in Waterford, Ireland, after a group of boys physically attacked her and hurled abusive slurs, including telling her to "go back to India." According to her mother, the boys punched her daughter in the face, twisted her hair, and hit her in the private parts using a bicycle wheel. The child has since been left traumatised and is now terrified to even step outside her home to play.
The incident occurred on the evening of August 4, when the girl was playing near her house with friends. Her mother, who had momentarily gone inside to feed her 10-month-old son, said she had been keeping an eye on her daughter from the window. Within minutes, the child ran inside the house in tears, unable to speak out of fear. Her mother later learned that a group of older children, estimated to be between 12 and 14 years of age, had attacked her.
The girl's mother, a nurse who has lived in Ireland for the past eight years and recently received Irish citizenship, said she was heartbroken and angry that such an incident could occur right in front of her home. She reported that the attackers, including a girl around eight years old, shouted racial abuse and used violent force, including punching the young girl and pushing a bike into her body. Even after the incident, the group of boys reportedly loitered in the area and stared mockingly at the victim’s mother.
Deeply shaken, the mother has filed a complaint with the Garda (Irish police) but clarified that she isn’t seeking punishment for the attackers. Instead, she hopes they receive counselling and learn to behave respectfully. She also expressed concern for the broader safety of Indian families and professionals in Ireland, noting that they have come to the country with qualifications and skills to fill crucial gaps in the workforce, especially in sectors like healthcare.
This assault comes amid growing concerns over a rise in racially motivated attacks against the Indian community in Ireland. Just weeks ago, a 40-year-old Indian man was attacked and stripped in public by a gang in Dublin’s Tallaght suburb. Since mid-July, at least three attacks on Indian-origin individuals have been reported in Dublin alone.
The recent spike in such violence has triggered alarm and unease among Indian residents in Ireland, especially professionals and families who had migrated for better prospects and peaceful living. The Waterford incident, particularly because it involves a very young child, has become a stark reminder of the vulnerability faced by immigrants in supposedly safe neighbourhoods. The family, once hopeful about their future in Ireland, now feels alienated and unsafe, even in the proximity of their own home.
