Six-Year-Old Indian-Origin Girl Racially Attacked in Ireland— Assaulted with Bicycle Wheel, Told to ‘Go Back to India’

International News: In a deeply disturbing incident that has shaken the Indian community, a six-year-old girl of Indian origin was physically assaulted and racially abused by a group of teenagers in Waterford, Ireland. The attackers reportedly struck her in the private parts using a bicycle wheel and punched her multiple times in the face. The horrific attack took place on the evening of Monday, August 4, in the Kilbarry area of Waterford, while the young girl was playing outside her home with friends.

Dirty Indian, Go Back to India— The Attackers Yelled

According to the girl’s mother, who spoke to The Irish Mirror, she had gone inside briefly to feed her 10-month-old son and left her daughter outside, playing under her watchful eye. “I told her I’d be back in just a minute. But when she came back, she was terrified—crying and unable to speak,” the mother said.

A friend of the girl later explained that five boys, aged between 12 and 14, along with an eight-year-old girl, surrounded her and began attacking her. “She told me five of them punched her in the face. One of the boys shoved a bicycle wheel onto her private parts. They shouted racial slurs like ‘dirty Indian’ and told her to go back to India. She also said they twisted her hair and strangled her neck,” her mother recounted.

“We Don’t Feel Safe — Not Even Outside Our Home”

The child’s mother, a nurse who has lived in Ireland for eight years and recently became an Irish citizen, said her daughter has been extremely shaken by the incident. Since the assault, she’s been crying in bed and is too scared to go outside and play. “We no longer feel safe— even right in front of our own house,” the mother said. “I never thought something like this could happen. I feel heartbroken that I couldn’t protect my daughter.”

She added that she later saw the same group of boys lingering nearby. “They were laughing and staring at me. They knew I was her mother, and they weren’t even scared,” she said.

Mother Calls for Counselling, Not Punishment

Although a complaint has been filed with the Irish police (Garda), the mother clarified that she is not seeking strict punishment for the children involved. Instead, she hopes that the authorities provide them with counselling and proper guidance. “We didn’t come here without qualifications. We’re trained professionals. We’re here to help this country, to fill critical workforce gaps— not to face hatred,” she said.

First Racial Attack on an Indian Child in Ireland Sparks Outrage

This is believed to be the first reported racial assault on a child of Indian origin in Ireland. However, it comes amid a troubling wave of violence against Indians in recent weeks:

• In July, a 40-year-old Indian man was attacked and stripped in public by a teenage gang in Tallaght, a suburb of Dublin.
• In another incident, a 32-year-old Indian entrepreneur suffered serious injuries, including a fractured bone, after being assaulted by a group of teenagers in Dublin.
• These back-to-back attacks have caused growing concern within the Indian diaspora, with many families now questioning their safety in Ireland.

Will the Authorities Act Before It’s Too Late?

As professionals from India continue to contribute significantly to Ireland’s healthcare, education, and technology sectors, the rise in racially motivated violence poses a serious threat, not just to individual safety but to community trust and inclusion. The key question now is: Will Irish authorities take a strong stand against hate crimes? Or will the Indian community continue to live in fear on foreign soil?