Irish Justice Minister Helen McEntee has insisted that Dublin is a safe city following a vicious attack on an American tourist.
Gardaí have said that the tourist had sustained life-altering injuries.
Stephen Termini, 57, was attacked by a group of youths on Dublin’s Store Street on Wednesday night, July 19, after leaving his accommodation on Talbot Street. A teenage boy, reportedly just 14, has been charged in connection with the assault and has made an initial appearance in court.
Mr. Termini remains in intensive care. From Buffalo in New York, his son Mike Rizzuto told RTÉ that his father had “saved every penny” to come to Ireland.
“My dad’s mother’s ashes were spread in Ireland in 2002 and he was unable to make it there at the time,” said Mr. Rizzuto.
“His grandfather used to paint murals in Ireland. I’ve been raised with Irish heritage which is very important to my dad. Last time I spoke to him he was saving every penny, doing odd jobs to get over to Ireland.
“He was talking about playing music in Ireland. That’s where he wanted to be so it really sucks what happened to him.”
Helen McEntee said more gardaí would continue to be recruited as concerns have being raised about public safety in the capital in recent months.
“I have to stress that whether you’re living here, working here or whether you’re a tourist here, I do think our city is safe but we do, like any other city, have problems that we need to try and address,” she said.
“I absolutely acknowledge that things are not perfect.”
Dublin Lord Mayor Dáithí de Róiste said there was anti-social problems in the inner city.
“The Guards themselves, they do what they can to the very best of their ability with the resources that they have. But it’s clear we have an issue and it needs to be resourced properly and that comes from a departmental level.”
He added that “high-visibility policing” was needed.
Sinn Féin TD Pa Daly said: “Unfortunately, these kinds of attacks are becoming increasingly common in our capital city, and people and communities are at the end of their tether.
“The Garda Representative Association has rightly highlighted the failure to recruit and retain Gardaí as a major issue in Dublin and in communities throughout the State. We have seen Garda recruitment targets missed repeatedly.”
The attack on the American tourist follows a recent assault on a Ukrainian actor who was performing in Dublin. The actor suffered serious injuries when beaten up by a gang of five.
