An Alliance Party MLA for North Antrim has said that she was "shocked" following an attack where a young man was found nailed to a fence in Bushmills.
The man, who is aged in his 20s, has been left with potentially life-changing injuries after both his hands were nailed to the fence.
He was found in Bushmills, north Antrim in the early hours of yesterday morning.
The PSNI described the incident as "sinister" and "brutal" and said paramilitary involvement was one key line of inquiry.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Sian Mulholland said that it was an attack of "a simply barbaric nature".
She said that the impact of this incident went beyond the victim.
"A young man has been left with potentially life-altering injuries," the Alliance Party MLA said.
"This was in a busy carpark, there were around 20 camper vans on a bank holiday weekend in the North ... There were a lot of people around, not only that you then have a close-knit community who is just left completely in shock that this happened on their doorstep.
"And then you have the first responders and the medical staff who are left to deal with the aftermath. You know the ripple effects of this extend wider than just the victim."
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The victim is believed to be from Carrickfergus in Co Antrim and it is understood that he was visiting a friend.
Police have issued a call for dashcam footage.
Ms Mulholland said people had come to the man's aid in the immediate aftermath. It happened just after midnight.
She said she scheduled a meeting with senior PSNI in the area, which she hoped would take place this week.
"I would be appealing to anybody in that area and have done so to get in touch with the PSNI," Ms Mulholland said.
She said there is always an undercurrent of paramilitary "criminal gangs".
"We are in 2024, we are 26 years post-Good Friday agreement, there is no place for vigilantism in our communities. The communities do not want it," she said.
