#trending: Malaysian youths in Dublin assaulted by group of teens in ‘racist attack’
The victims suffered bruises and a black eye after they were assaulted by a group of teenage boys in an unprovoked attack in Dublin, Ireland on Dec 4, 2022.
- Four Malaysians were assaulted in Dublin by a group of teenage boys
- The attackers threatened to kill them
- Former newscaster Norzie Pak Wan Chek, whose niece was one of the victims, detailed the account on Facebook
- Due to laws in Ireland protecting minors, it is unlikely the assault case will be further pursued by the police
BY
LEE WENXIN
Published December 15, 2022Updated December 15, 2022
WhatsAppTelegramFacebookTwitterEmailLinkedIn
DUBLIN, IRELAND — Four Malaysians visiting Dublin, Ireland were hurt after they were beaten and attacked by a group of teenage boys.
Former newscaster Norzie Pak Wan Chek detailed the "terrifying" ordeal in a Facebook post on Dec 5. She described it as a "racist attack" and said that the victims — her niece, her niece's friend, and their brother and sister — suffered bruises and a black eye.
ADVERTISEMENT
The four — aged between 18 to 27 — were out doing last-minute shopping on Dec 4 in Dublin before their flight back to Malaysia the next day, she added.
Ms Norzie told Malaysia news website Says.com that her niece is a junior doctor who is doing her housemanship in the Irish town of Clonmel.
At around 8.15pm, the group was waiting at a restaurant for the bus to head back to their accommodation when they were harassed by a group of teenagers.
READ ALSO
Former Ngee Ann Poly lecturer pleads guilty to making racist remarks, possessing obscene films
“It was at this time that they were jeered at by a group of teenage boys who started throwing an empty can at my niece and tossing dirty fries from the floor of a restaurant they were waiting at," Ms Norzie said.
As more boys joined in, the Malaysians left the restaurant and walked to the bus station to avoid confrontation.
ADVERTISEMENT
However, the attackers “would not give up”, circling them with their bicycles and braking hard to “scare them”, Ms Norzie claimed.
They even threatened the Malaysians by shouting: “I’ll ****ing kill you!”
The harassment soon escalated. Using bicycle seatposts that they had removed from their bikes, the teenagers attacked Ms Norzie’s niece, hitting the back of her neck.
While the group tried to shield her from the blows, the alleged assailants started raining punches on the victims.
READ ALSO
EU's top diplomat denies 'jungle' comments were racist
The four received punches on their arms, eyes and backs, Ms Norzie added.
ADVERTISEMENT
The attack stopped when one of the victims managed to contact the Dublin police.
Despite waiting for 30 minutes, the police did not show up.
The group of tourists reached a police station after hitching a ride from someone.
“What happened to my loved ones that night should never happen to anyone,” Ms Norzie wrote in the aftermath of the incident.
She thanked the Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for their immediate help when she reached out to it.
ADVERTISEMENT
READ ALSO
Switzerland has 'systemic' racism issues, UN experts say
The newly sworn-in Malaysian Foreign Minister Zambry Abdul Kadir, who had not begun his official duties at the time, had made sure that the victims were taken care of on a Sunday.
"Within minutes, the recently sworn-in foreign minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir contacted (my friend) to inform her that he had spoken to the Secretary-General Datuk Seri Amran Mohamed Zin to take the necessary action," Ms Norzie wrote.
Mr Amran is the new secretary-general of Malaysia's Foreign Ministry.
Ms Norzie also claimed that the minister "called me personally and promised that the four of them would be taken care of".
By 5am, an official Nadzira Abd Razak, the charge d'affaires in Dublin, and her colleague were at the airport to provide medical and boarding assistance for the victims, Ms Norzie added.
Her niece was taken back to her workplace, Tipperary University Hospital in Clonmel, to get her the medical attention she needed.
The Dublin police said that this was not the first time that the assailants caused trouble, Says.com reported.
Ms Norzie was quoted by the news website saying that due to laws protecting minors there, it is unlikely that the case will be further pursued by the police.
She also said that the charge d'affaires will be speaking to the police to ensure that such attacks do not happen again.
