Gardaí have arrested three teenagers in relation to the assault of a 14-year-old boy in Navan, Co Meath on Monday.
Reports yesterday morning confirmed the boy was being treated at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda for facial injuries.
The attack has been classified by Gardaí as an assault with “hate as a motivating factor.”
The young man was on his way to a nearby family member’s house as he attempted to crawl away while sustaining a series of violent blows.
In a statement released by a spokesman for An Garda Síochána, Gardaí confirmed today's arrest.
“Following this incident, a male juvenile teen attended Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda where he received treatment for serious facial injuries.
“Gardaí have today arrested three male juvenile teens in the Navan area for alleged offences under Section 3 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, 1999. All three are currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 at Garda Stations in the Meath Region.
“An Garda Síochána has appointed an FLO and continues to liaise with the victim and the victim’s family.
“An Garda Síochána is aware of a video circulating on social media of this incident and out of respect for the victim in this case we would request that people refrain from sharing this video.”
Family response
Members of the child's family also expressed their concern over the attack.
“No 14-year-old should be beaten like that for anything at all, especially because of who he is. He is only a child and it happened across the road from a family member, where he was trying to get to.
“We are shocked, horrified and upset at what can happen in this day and age. It was a number of people against one boy, while others filmed it and posted it online. That is horrific and wrong.”
Government response
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar also said he hoped to reach out to the victim and his family in the wake of the attack.
“I’m really appalled at what we saw happening in Navan. It seems to me that a young man was targeted, essentially because he was different and was subjected to a very violent assault,” Mr Varadkar said.
“And what’s worse still is people felt the need to video it and then put it online. It takes a particular type of person to post videos of people with the purpose of humiliating them, a particularly nasty type of individual.”
Minister for Education Norma Foley echoed the message that individuals should not share the video of the attack on social media.
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“So I suppose really what we are urging is that people would not do that, that they would not and I understand that it can happen for a variety of reasons, but we would be urging people not to share it, not to share content of that nature online,” she said.
Gardaí are continuing to appeal to any person with information on the assault to contact Navan Garda Station at 046 9079930, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station.
