Racism in Ireland has taken an alarming turn as a disturbing incident involving a 6-year-old Indian-origin girl has come to light. The child, Nia Naveen, born in Ireland to Indian parents, became the latest victim of a racist assault in Waterford City, located in southeast Ireland. This is reportedly the fifth such racist attack against Indians in the country within just one month.

According to local reports, Nia was outside her home around 7:30 pm on Monday, August 4, when she was violently attacked by a group of older children. The assailants, believed to be aged between 12 and 14, reportedly punched her in the face and neck, yanked her hair, and pushed a bicycle wheel into her private parts. The attack wasn’t just physical—it came with cruel verbal abuse, targeting her Indian identity and telling her to "go back to India."

The horrific incident has left Nia and her family in deep distress. Her mother, Anupa Achuthan, shared the chilling details with The Irish Mirror. "It was around 7.30 pm and she was playing inside the house. She wanted to play outside and go cycling. I let her outside for a few seconds. My husband was at work on night duty. He was off to work, and I was alone with my 10-month-old and my six-year-old. She went out with her friends. I was supervising them just in front of the house. They were playing together, and I knew they were safe," she said, trying to piece together what led to the trauma.

Anupa had briefly stepped inside to feed her infant son, Nihan, when the tragedy struck. "My youngest one started crying because it was his feeding time, so I just let Nia know that I would be popping inside the house and she could play with her friends, and I would be back in a second after feeding the baby," she added. But just moments later, Nia came back home in tears, terrified and unable to speak.

"She was very upset, she started crying. She couldn’t even talk; she was so scared. I had never seen my daughter like that. I just asked her friends what happened, and they were all so upset, they couldn’t talk," Anupa recounted with visible pain. One of the children accompanying Nia managed to explain what happened: "One of her friends said a gang of boys older than them hit her on the private parts with a cycle, and five of them punched her on her face. She told me five of them punched her in the face. One of the boys pushed the bicycle wheel onto her private parts, and it was really sore. They said the F word and 'Dirty Indian, go back to India'. She told me today they punched her neck and twisted her hair," Anupa said, repeating the words no mother should ever have to hear.

A Traumatised Family and a Terrified Child

The assault has left the family shaken and fearful. Anupa, her husband KS Naveen, and their two children had only moved into their new home in Kilbarry, Westford City, in January 2025. Originally from Kottayam in Kerala, the couple has been living in Ireland for eight years, and both of their children were born in the country. Anupa, a nurse by profession, recently received her Irish citizenship—something that now feels bitterly ironic.

The family is now haunted by the incident, especially little Nia, who has become reluctant to leave the house. Anupa said that her daughter is suffering from sleepless nights and is now terrified of going out to play. As a mother, she expressed heartbreak over not being able to protect her child when it mattered most.

Despite knowing who the culprits are, Anupa has chosen a path of compassion. Rather than calling for harsh punishment, she hopes for something deeper and long-lasting. She believes the children should be counselled and educated so they can learn to respect others. “They are children too,” she said, holding back tears. But the emotional scars on Nia may take much longer to heal.

The Irish police have been informed, and the case is now being looked into.

This horrifying incident is not isolated. It marks the fifth reported racist attack against Indians in Ireland in just over a month. The surge in such incidents has raised serious concerns about the safety of the Indian community in the country. On August 1, following multiple reports of such hate crimes, the Indian Embassy in Ireland issued an advisory urging all Indian nationals to stay cautious. The advisory encouraged individuals to avoid deserted areas during late hours and to take basic personal safety measures.

Brutal Attacks on Indians Continue: Cab Driver Bleeds in Street After Assault in Ballymun

Just a day after a 6-year-old Indian-origin girl was brutally attacked in Waterford, yet another shocking hate crime unfolded in Ireland—this time in Ballymun, a suburb of Dublin. On Tuesday, August 5, Lakhvir Singh, a cab driver originally from India, was assaulted by two young passengers, aged around 20 to 21 years.

Singh had picked up the two men from the northside area of Dublin and dropped them off at Poppintree. As soon as the journey ended, the passengers opened the door of the cab and struck a bottle on his head twice, causing him to bleed profusely. His car was left stained with blood.

In pain and panic, Singh rang the doorbells of nearby homes seeking assistance, but nobody responded. Alone and injured, he dialled 999 and informed the emergency services and police. He was then rushed to Beaumont Hospital for medical treatment.

Singh, who has been living in Ireland for 23 years, is a father of two. The mental trauma caused by the attack has left him afraid to return to work. He revealed that the attackers shouted “go back to your own country” before fleeing the scene.

This horrifying experience is yet another addition to a growing list of racist attacks targeting Indians across the country.

Kolkata-Born Chef Assaulted and Robbed in Dublin

On the same week, another Indian man was attacked in what appears to be a racially motivated incident. Laxman Das, a sous chef from Kolkata, working at Anantara The Marker Dublin Hotel, was attacked near the Hilton Hotel while heading to work.

According to The Times of India, Das was targeted by three attackers who stole his mobile phone, cash, and electric bike. The incident left him injured and in need of medical attention. He was immediately taken to St Vincent’s University Hospital for treatment.

This incident paints a grim picture of rising hostility towards Indians in Dublin, even those like Das, who contribute to Ireland’s thriving hospitality industry.

Amazon Employee Stabbed, Beaten, and Stripped by Teenage Gang

In one of the most disturbing attacks so far, a 40-year-old Indian national, newly employed by Amazon, was violently assaulted in Tallaght, Dublin, on July 19. The man, who had arrived in Ireland just three weeks earlier, was the victim of a brutal stabbing, beating, and partial stripping by a gang of teenagers.

He was left on the street bleeding heavily, following baseless accusations that he had behaved inappropriately around children. However, Irish police later confirmed that there was no evidence supporting the claim.

Authorities are currently investigating the matter as a hate crime. An Irish woman named Jennifer Murray, who helped the victim after the attack, noted that “this was not the first instance of a racially motivated attack in the area”, drawing attention to an escalating pattern of violence.

Senior Data Scientist Left Disfigured After Being Assaulted by Teenage Mob

Toward the end of July 2025, a 32-year-old Indian-origin data scientist, Santosh Yadav, became the target of another violent racial attack. Yadav, who moved to Ireland in 2021, was assaulted by a group of six teenagers right outside his Dublin apartment.

The brutal attack left him with a fractured cheekbone and multiple injuries. In a harrowing LinkedIn post, Yadav shared: “They (teenagers) snatched my glasses, broke them, and then beat me relentlessly across my head, face, neck, chest, hands, and legs—leaving me bleeding on the pavement.”

After somehow contacting the police, Yadav was admitted to Blanchardstown Hospital, where his injuries were confirmed by medical professionals. He was then referred to specialist care due to the severity of his wounds.

Yadav also raised concerns about how the Irish police handled the situation. He accused the authorities of delaying their response and not acting swiftly, further compounding his trauma.

Indians Blamed for Housing Crisis Amid Wave of Hate Crimes

As these horrifying attacks unfold, a troubling anti-immigrant narrative continues to grow in Ireland. Many locals have begun blaming immigrants, including Indians, for pressing social issues like the housing crisis.

Prashant Shukla, Chairman of the Ireland India Council, has strongly denounced these accusations. He described the growing public sentiment as “a mischievous propaganda campaign” aimed at unfairly targeting Indian-origin residents.

In a bid to bring attention to the situation, the Council wrote to several ministers in the Irish government, demanding immediate action to stop the rising hate crimes. They also urged the government to introduce legislation holding parents accountable when minors commit racist attacks.

With each passing week, the list of victims grows, and so does the concern among the Indian diaspora in Ireland, who are no longer feeling safe in a country they’ve called home for years.