Woman plans return to USA after attack by youth gang

An American woman is considering moving back to the US from Ireland after being attacked by a gang of young teenagers while she says others watched “like we were a TV show”.

Becca Krist, aged 23, was being collected from work in Trim, Co Meath, by her husband Pat and mother-in-law Jana Ruperte when she says they were “jumped” by five youths.

Jana, 44, was headbutted as she tried to pull five boys off her son, while some of Becca’s hair was torn out as she tried to fend off blows from two teenage girls.

Becca has panic attacks now every time she sees teenagers and is considering a move back to her native Boston.

She is frustrated with an apparent slow progress in investigations into the incident, which occurred on March 29 last and believes the laws here are too lenient in regard to minors.

The beauty therapist spoke about her attack in the wake of a public meeting last week about growing anti- social behaviour in Trim due to gangs of young teenagers.

She also fears that if action is not taken to stem the antisocial behaviour that people will take matters into their own hands.

“My husband Pat collected me from work at 8pm, and we were walking through a nearby carpark to where my mother-in-law was parked when a gang of teenagers started taunting us.

I told them where to go and kept walking and one girl started screaming at me while another came out of nowhere and went to swing at me. 

"My husband tried to push her away and she punched him on the side of the head, but we kept walking.

“I don’t know how but we got separated and I turned around to see my husband on the ground with five boys, no more than 14 years old, on top of him, kicking him.

“My mother-in-law saw what was happening and ran from the car to try and get them off Pat but one of the boys headbutted her in the face.”

Becca said she couldn’t understand why, during the incident, people watched but didn’t offer any help.

“There was a group of adults watching us like we were a TV show. I shouted at them to call the gardaí and I asked them afterwards why they didn’t help and they said they thought we were just fighting amongst ourselves.”

The US citizen says she is frustrated at the lack of action taken against this gang who, she claims, call themselves “The Untouchables”.

“Some people are too afraid to report incidents. We reported what happened and got witness statements and everything but when I called the gardaí for an update on Friday, I was told there was none.”

Gardaí say they can’t comment on any individual case.