‘Harassed by a child’: Indian family in Ireland recounts disturbing racist encounter

An Indian-origin woman reports her father faced racial harassment by young boys at a Dublin bus stop, amid similar recent attacks in Ireland.

Amid recent attacks on Indians in Ireland, an Indian-origin woman has alleged that her 60-year-old father was subjected to racial harassment and inappropriate behaviour by a couple of young boys at a bus stop in Dublin.

The woman shared that she was waiting for a bus in Dublin with her family when the alleged attack took place. (Representational)

In a Reddit post on August 9, a friend of the woman shared that she was waiting for a bus in Dublin with her father and sister when two boys, whom she believed to be around 7 or 8 years old, approached them.

The woman claimed that the boys first asked for selfies with her father but then, the boys began mocking him while one of them allegedly tried to grab his wallet from his pocket.

“We tried to stay calm and ignored their behaviour. But then, shockingly, one boy blocked my father’s way, made grabbing gestures toward his crotch," she said, adding that the whole ordeal left her family feeling defenceless.

"My father, aged 60, was harassed by a child right in front of his daughters, leaving us feeling defenceless. Knowing the current climate for people of colour in Ireland and being aware of the laws, it was frustrating not to have any immediate recourse," she revealed.

“No one should have to feel unsafe or powerless in public spaces, regardless of their background,” the post read.

In the past week, an Indian-origin taxi driver and a six-year-old girl have been attacked in Ireland. The Indian Embassy in Ireland has issued an advisory urging Indians to stay vigilant following an increase in physical assaults across the country.

Meanwhile, the Irish Embassy in India has condemned the attacks. “They are an assault on the values of equality and human dignity that Ireland holds dear,” a statement on X read.