A six-year-old girl of Indian descent was reportedly subjected to a racist attack outside her home in Waterford on Monday evening, August 4, in what is believed to be the first such incident targeting a child of Indian origin in Ireland.
According to her mother, the young girl had been playing with friends outside their home in the Kilbarry area when a group of older children, some believed to be between the ages of 12 and 14, launched a violent assault while hurling racial slurs, including “Dirty Indian, go back to India.”
The girl was allegedly punched in the face by five boys and struck in the private area with a bicycle. One of her playmates reportedly witnessed the incident and informed the mother of what had happened. The attackers also used the F word during the attack.
“She came running back inside after barely a minute, crying uncontrollably,” the mother recounted to The Irish Mirror. “She couldn’t even speak. She was terrified.”
The mother, a nurse who has lived in Ireland for eight years and recently gained citizenship, said she was keeping an eye on her daughter but had briefly stepped inside to feed her 10-month-old son when the attack occurred.
“She was just playing like any other child, and I only turned my back for a moment,” she said.
The assault has left the young girl traumatised, said the mother. Since the incident, the child has been reluctant to go outside, crying in bed and expressing fear of returning to the front of the house.
‘We No Longer Feel Safe’
The family, who moved to Waterford City in January, say the attack has shattered their sense of safety. “We no longer feel safe here, even outside our own home,” the mother said. “It doesn’t feel like she can play without fear anymore.”
The emotional toll on the family has been profound. “I feel so sad for her,” she added. “I couldn’t protect my daughter. I never thought something like this would happen in Ireland. I thought she would be safe here.”
The mother also said she later saw the same group of boys, who stared at her “laughing and unafraid,” seemingly aware of her identity as the child’s parent.
‘Counselling, Not Punishment’
The incident has been reported to the Gardaí or the Irish police, but the mother emphasised that her intention is not to pursue punishment. Instead, she hopes the children involved will receive counselling and support.
“I don’t know how the government plans to address this,” she said. “We came here as skilled professionals to fill labour gaps. We have our certificates, our training. We came here legally, and we work hard.”
Her plea reflects the growing concerns of many within Ireland’s Indian community, who feel increasingly vulnerable in the face of rising xenophobic incidents.
The assault comes amid a worrying rise in racially motivated attacks against people of Indian origin in Ireland. Just last month, a 40-year-old Indian man was attacked and stripped by a gang of teenagers in Tallaght, a suburb of Dublin—an incident that also sparked outrage across the community.
