The Minister for Justice has said that many of the recent attacks on members of the Indian community appear to have been carried out by young people which, he said, poses a particular challenge within the criminal justice system.
Jim O'Callaghan was speaking after he met with representatives of the Ireland India Council and the Federation of Indian Communities in Ireland, to discuss the recent attacks.
The attacks have prompted the Indian Embassy to issue a warning to its citizens living and working in Ireland.
Mr O'Callaghan said that what he found most concerning about the attacks was that the majority appeared to have been carried out by young people.
"Regrettably, it appears to be the case that very many of the offenses appear to be perpetrated by persons under the age of 18 and that does pose a particular challenge for us within the criminal justice system, to ensure that individuals who are under 18, who commit criminal offenses are brought before our courts, and that they do, in fact, face a sanction," he said.
He said he had been informed that Garda Juvenile Liaison Officers were engaging with the respective communities and youth groups on the matter.
The minister added that he had been engaging extensively with Garda Commissioner Drew Harris about the matter and that action had been taken to support the Indian community.
Minister O'Callaghan said that Senior Investigating Officers had been assigned to investigate all reported incidents, and that he hoped to see progress on those investigations soon.
"Any attack against innocent members of the public such as those suffered by members of the Indian community are totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated," he stated.
"Attacks on individuals because of their inherent characteristics including race are abhorrent to the values of our republic and are condemned by any right-thinking people."
The Minister pointed out that laws had recently been amended by the Criminal Justice (Hate Offences) Act 2024 to ensure any attack motivated by hate will, on conviction, result in increased sentencing parameters for the sentencing judge, adding that "there are severe consequences for the perpetrators of these attacks".
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