60-year-old Indian harassed in Ireland in front of two daughters

Amid the rising racial incidents against Indians in Ireland, an Indian-origin woman’s 60-year-old father was harassed by young boys at a bus stop in Dublin, Ireland.

Sharing her ordeal on Reddit, a woman wrote that the incident occurred on August 9, when her sister, father, and she were waiting for their bus to Sallynoggin at bus stop number 7553, located at Parkpointe Shopping Centre.

“Unexpectedly, two young boys, probably around 7 to 8 years old, approached us. Initially, they joked about taking selfies with us and then proceeded to take a selfie of my father’s face while mocking him, even showing a middle finger in the photo,” she wrote.

She added, “We tried to stay calm and ignored their behaviour, but the situation escalated when one of the boys attempted to grab my father’s wallet from his back pocket. At this point, we considered changing our travel plans and going back home for safety.”

The behaviour of Irish kids soon became harassment when they made gestures of grabbing her father’s crotch, and uttered the words “come to daddy”.

The woman wrote that her 60-year-old father was harassed by a child in front of his two daughters.

“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. There needs to be a stop to this. The government must react and reconsider the law so that children can be held accountable for their actions when warranted. No one should have to feel unsafe or powerless in public spaces, regardless of their background!!,” she concluded.

Notably, on Saturday, the Embassy of Ireland in New Delhi expressed deep shock over recent violent attacks on Indian citizens in Ireland, calling them an assault on the nation’s core values of equality and human dignity.

In a strong statement, the embassy reaffirmed that racism and xenophobia have no place in Irish society, highlighting the contributions of over 1,00,000 Indians who call Ireland home.

The Irish Deputy Prime Minister is slated to meet Indian community representatives on August 11 to address these concerns.