Latest news with #GardaNationalDiversityUnit
News18
3 days ago
- News18
Irish police diversity unit reassures Indian community after attacks
Last Updated: London, Aug 9 (PTI) The diversity unit of Ireland's police force said on Saturday that it is engaging with the Indian community in the wake of a string of violent attacks in the capital Dublin and other parts of the country in recent weeks. The Garda National Diversity Unit has been in discussions with the Federation of Indian Communities in Ireland (FICI) and is also set to be joining the annual Indian Independence Day celebrations organised by the umbrella group next week. An Garda Siochana, as the national police force of Ireland is known, said investigations into reports of assault on people of Indian heritage remain ongoing. 'Without commenting on any specific incident, the Garda National Diversity Unit is actively engaged with the Federation of Indian Communities in Ireland (FICI) – the umbrella group for several Indian community groups across the country – to address present concerns," a Garda spokesperson said. 'As in previous years, we look forward to attending next weekend's annual 'India Day' celebrations held by FICI and the Ireland India Council. We expect that both events will be opportunities for us to provide any help and reassurance in light of recent concerns," the spokesperson said. The police confirmed that one of the most recent incidents in which an Indian-origin hotel chef in his 50s was assaulted and robbed in Dublin on Wednesday remains under investigation. 'We would like to reassure those of an ethnic or minority background that we are here to keep you safe. We would encourage anyone who has been a victim of crime to report it to An Garda Siochana for investigation, or in an emergency call 999/112," the spokesperson added. The hotel chef, named in the Irish media as Laxman Das, was attacked by three suspects who fled with his phone, credit cards and electric bike. He was taken to the city's St. Vincent's University Hospital with what the police described as non-life-threatening injuries. Earlier in the week, Anupa Achuthan, originally from Kerala and now an Irish citizen, spoke about her Ireland-born six-year-old daughter Nia Naveen being assaulted outside her home in the city of Waterford, south-east Ireland, and told to 'go back to India". Violent assaults involving Lakhvir Singh, a taxi driver in his 40s, and entrepreneur and AI expert Dr Santosh Yadav followed an Indian Embassy advisory urging Indian citizens to take 'safety precautions and avoid deserted areas, especially at odd hours". The advisory followed a brutal attack on a 40-year-old Indian man at Parkhill Road in the Tallaght suburb of Dublin on July 19, described as 'mindless, racist violence" by locals. 'The people of Ireland stand with the Indian community and will continue to stand firmly against racism in all its forms," the Irish Embassy in New Delhi said in a social media statement this week. The Irish India Council welcomed the 'strong statement", adding: 'Racism and xenophobia have no place in our society. The Indian community's contributions continue to enrich Ireland, and our shared bonds remain strong." PTI AK GSP GSP view comments First Published: August 09, 2025, 18:00 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Irish Independent
29-04-2025
- Irish Independent
Reports of hate crimes increased by 4pc last year
The report found a total of 676 hate crimes and hate related non-criminal incidents were recorded in 2024, up from 651 in 2023. More than 30pc of hate crimes were public order offences, while more than 20pc were minor assaults, 16pc were criminal damage not by fire and 7pc were assaults causing harm. Just under half of all hate related incidents occurred in the Dublin Metropolitan Region, as was the case in the previous three years. However, there has been a reduction each year. The three other operational regions recorded were Eastern with 18pc of incidents, Southern at 17pc and North-Western at 16pc which was also much lower than in the previous twelve months. Anti-race has remained the most prevalent discriminatory motive for hate related incidents. Anti-nationality makes up a quarter of motives, an increase of 7pc from last year. Murder threats to kill or cause serious harm has featured higher this year with 27 incidents with a hate motive, an increase of 5pc from last year. Chief Superintendent Padraic Jones said: "While these figures do indicate a further increase in the number of people that come forward to An Garda Síochána and report an incident of crime which was motivated by hate, we recognise that hate related crime is still underreported in Ireland. "When a person or group is targeted because of a fundamental characteristic it is a stain on all of society. Together we must continue to reject hate and discrimination and consistently remind one another that everyone has a right to live safely and free from prejudice. Incidents of this nature are not and never will be acceptable.' Spt Jones added: "I really encourage anyone that has experienced an incident of crime which has been motivated by hate to please come forward and report your experience – I assure you that we will support you in any way that we can.' An Garda Síochána asks those working in community-based groups, schools, clubs, the voluntary sector and non-governmental groups who have not already done so to subscribe to the third-party referral process. This will have the benefit of further increasing the reporting of hate crimes to the force. This would see cases referred directly to the Garda National Diversity Unit for investigation.
