Kerala-origin girl brutally assaulted in Ireland, hit in private parts; family says they no longer feel safe

A six-year-old girl of Indian origin was brutally assaulted in a suspected racist attack outside her home in southeast Ireland, sparking concern within the Indian community amid a surge of violence targeting Indian nationals and people of Indian descent.

The child, whose family hails from Kottayam in Kerala, was playing with friends near her home in Waterford City around 7.30 p.m. on Monday when a group of older children allegedly began hurling racial slurs at her before physically assaulting her. According to the girl’s mother, the attackers – believed to be five boys aged between 12 and 14 and a girl aged around eight – called her a “dirty Indian” and shouted, “go back to India” before attacking her.

The girl, who was born in Ireland, was punched in the face, struck in the private parts with a bicycle, punched in the neck and had her hair twisted, her mother told the Irish Mirror.

“I never expected that such an incident would happen. I thought she would be safe here. Even in front of our own house she can’t play safely. I am a nurse, I am doing my best to take care of people. I do my work and I am 100% professional. I changed my citizenship, but still we are called dirty people and even my kids are not safe,” the mother, who moved to Ireland eight years ago, told the Mirror.

The mother had briefly stepped inside to feed her 10-month-old son, she said, while continuing to watch her daughter from the window. The child returned moments later in tears, visibly shaken and unable to speak due to fear.

“She was very upset, she started crying. She couldn’t even talk, she was so scared,” she recalled.

According to one of the girl's friends, five of the boys had punched her, and one boy had shoved a bicycle wheel against her private parts. “She told me five of them punched her in the face. One of the boys pushed the bicycle wheel onto her private parts and it was really sore. They said the F word and ‘Dirty Indian, go back to India’. She told me today (Wednesday) they punched her neck and twisted her hair,” the mother said.

The family, who recently moved to the Kilbarry area of Waterford in January, now say they no longer feel safe even in their own neighbourhood. The child has been traumatised and is too frightened to go outside and play, the mother said.

"We no longer feel safe here, even right in front of our own home. It doesn’t feel like she can play without fear," she said.

“I feel so sad for her. I could not protect her. I never expected such an incident would happen. I thought she would be safe here.”

The mother added that she later saw the same group of children again in the area. “I saw the gang afterward. They were staring at me, laughing. They know I am her parent. The boys were maybe 12 or 14, and they were still roaming around here,” she said.

Gardaí, Ireland’s national police, confirmed that they had received a report about the alleged assault and said an investigation is ongoing. “Gardaí responded to a report of an alleged assault in the Kilbarry area of Waterford city on the evening of Monday 4 August. Investigations are ongoing,” a Garda spokesperson told TOI.

Despite the horrific nature of the assault, the mother said she is not seeking punitive action against the boys. “I don’t know how the government will address this. We came here to fill a labour gap, we are professionals, we have all the certificates,” she said.

“It is a struggle to come here. We don’t come without qualifications. We are well-trained, and the government needs us.”

This attack on the child marks the first reported instance of a physical racist assault against an Indian-origin child in Ireland. It follows a series of violent incidents across the country involving Indian nationals.

In Dublin, three other assaults have been reported in recent weeks. On Wednesday morning, Laxman Das, a sous chef originally from Kolkata working at Anantara The Marker Dublin hotel, was attacked near the Hilton Hotel while on his way to work. He was hospitalised at St Vincent's University Hospital after being assaulted by three men who also robbed him of his phone, electric bike and cash.

Earlier, an Indian-origin entrepreneur and senior data scientist, Santosh Yadav, was violently attacked by a group of teenagers in Dublin. “They snatched my glasses, breaking them and then beat me relentlessly across my head, face, neck, chest, hands and legs—leaving me bleeding on the pavement,” he said.

In another case earlier this month, an Indian taxi driver was assaulted by two individuals pretending to be customers. He was hit on the head with a bottle and was reportedly told to “go back to your own country” as his attackers fled.

The Indian embassy in Dublin has since issued an advisory urging Indian nationals to remain vigilant and take precautions, especially in poorly lit or isolated areas.

“At the same time, all Indian citizens in Ireland are advised to take reasonable precautions for their personal security and avoid deserted areas, especially in odd hours,” the advisory said.