‘Happy slapping’ may be traced by phone companies
As gardaí in Co Tipperary investigate what is thought to be the first incident of its kind in this country, mobile phone companies warned that cameraphone recordings of such attacks can be traced back to the culprits.
“Happy slapping” has become slang for a spate of attacks in Britain where groups of mainly young people physically assault, scare or embarrass strangers in public while recording the incident on their mobile phones for circulation to friends and acquaintances.
Some commentators have blamed the craze on popular adult TV shows like Jackass and Dirty Sanchez where real life characters dream up stunts that inevitably leave their willing victims sore, sick or humiliated.
The fad has got out of hand in Britain in recent months, however, with attacks being perpetrated on children and teenagers or unsuspecting members of the public, and assaults often involving extreme violence.
In one case due to come before the courts in Scotland, a 14-year-old girl was recording being raped by a gang of teenagers, while in Manchester a 13-year-old boy was filmed being bound with tape and tied to a tree by older boys who set the tape on fire.
In the incident in Nenagh last weekend, an 18-year-old man was surrounded by a gang of about 12 young people, some of whom beat him about the face and body while others recorded the attack on their mobile phones.
The victim was brought to hospital and was treated for facial injuries. Gardaí are treating the attack as “extremely serious” and have begun taking statements from witnesses.
But the culprits could have left an obvious calling card for investigating officers as anyone who circulates the phone recordings leaves an automatic record with their mobile phone operator.
The Irish Cellular Industry Association (ICIA), which represents all four mobile phone firms operating in Ireland, introduced a code of practice last year under which they agree to open up all customer records to the gardaí on request.
