Special needs boy, 12, attacked

A 12-year-old special needs boy suffered a number of injuries after he was attacked for a second time outside a community centre. Gardaí in Mayorstone, Limerick, are investigating last Friday’s incident.

Reports that two other boys outside the Community Centre in Kileely Court in Limerick carried out the attack are under investigation.

As a result of the assault, the boy sustained bruising to his face, eye, arms and head.

This is the second such attack on the boy after he was hospitalised last year with concussion. Following the assault, a neighbour of the victim said “this poor boy is a soft target and is not capable of fighting back in the same way another boy his age would be.

“This is the second time this child has been attacked. The first incident happened over a year ago and the boy was knocked unconscious after being repeatedly hit in the head. He spent several days in hospital with concussion.

“The victim is in the same class as one of the attackers and is so traumatised by the events is unable to go to school. The other culprit is only 11 and therefore little can be done by the gardaí except to refer him to the HSE social workers.”