Dublin riots – latest: Stabbing suspect ‘may have suffered permanent brain injuries’
Some 500 people took part in riots on Thursday night following knife attack that left several injured
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Your support makes all the difference.The suspect in the Dublin nursery stabbing which sparked violent riots in Ireland’s capital has suffered “extensive” brain injuries which “may be permanent”, it has been claimed.
An Garda Siochana did not comment on claims by a source who told the Irish Mirror that the suspect “is in a bad way”, adding: “His head injuries are extensive and may be permanent.”
It comes as the five-year-old girl who was stabbed remains in critical condition at CHI Temple Street, while the children’s care assistant, a woman aged in her 30s, is in a serious but stable condition in The Mater Hospital.
Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald insisted on Monday that justice minister Helen McEntee and Garda Commissioner Drew Harris’s positions were “untenable”, warning that “we now have a scenario where people do not feel safe in parts of Dublin's inner city”.
Ireland’s further education minister Simon Harris pledged that there would be a “full review” of the policing of the riots which engulfed parts of central Dublin on Thursday, which he condemned as “absolute opportunistic criminality and thuggery”.
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You can read our latest coverage on the situation in Dublin by clicking here, or else keep scrolling to catch up on the past few days’ events as we reported them:
Stabbing suspect ‘may have suffered permanent brain injuries’
The suspect in the Dublin nursery attack has suffered “extensive” head injuries which “may be permanent”, a source has claimed to the Irish Mirror.
The man, in his 50s, is claimed to be in an induced coma, and the report today raises concerns that he may not be fit for questioning for some time.
“He is in a bad way” the source told the paper. “His head injuries are extensive and may be permanent.”
The Independent has approached An Garda Siochana for further comment.
Donohoe gives ‘full support’ to Irish Justice Minister and Garda commissioner
Full confidence has been expressed in the Irish Justice Minister and the head of the Irish police after they faced calls to quit following the worst rioting seen in the state for decades.
Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe also cautioned against division after Garda cars, a bus and a tram were set alight, shops damaged and looted and officers attacked during violent scenes, which involved far-right elements, in Dublin last week.
It came shortly after three children and a women were injured in a stabbing attack outside a school in the north city centre.
Rebecca Black reports:
Donohoe gives ‘full support’ to Irish Justice Minister and Garda commissioner
Helen McEntee and Drew Harris have faced calls to resign following rioting in Dublin on Thursday.
Watch: Irish Parliament protected by ring of steel following rioting in Dublin
Ireland’s police defended by government minister in wake of riots
Garda has been defended by an Irish government minister in the wake of the violent riots that ripped through Dublin on Thursday night.
Pascal Donohoe said Ireland’s police faced an unprecedented situation when chaotic scenes broke out across the capital following a knife attack on three children and their care assistant outside Gaelscoil Cholaiste Mhuire primary school on Thursday lunchtime.
Speaking on BBC News NI’s Sunday Politics programme, he acknowledged that law and order were not maintained “in our city centre as we would want and the country would expect” but praised the force’s “exceptional work” in “tough and demanding circumstances”.
Some 48 arrests made in Dublin since Thursday
Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said 48 arrests have been made in the city since Thursday and a high-visibility policing plan is in place throughout the weekend, including the deployment of four public order units.
The Garda dog unit and the mounted unit are also being deployed, and two water cannon have been described as available for use if required.
The water cannon are on loan from the Police Service of Northern Ireland following a request for mutual aid from Garda Commissioner Drew Harris.
They will solely be operated by members of An Garda Siochana if deployed.
‘Thuggery’ on streets of Dublin will not be tolerated – Irish Justice Minister
Further “thuggery” on the streets of Dublin “will not be tolerated”, Ireland’s Justice Minister has warned.
There has been a heavy gardai presence in the Irish capital across the weekend following rioting on Thursday night.
The chaotic scenes – which involved far-right elements – saw Garda cars, buses and trams set alight, and shops looted and damaged after a knife attack on three children and their care assistant outside a school in the north inner city.
Rebecca Black reports:
‘Thuggery’ on streets of Dublin will not be tolerated – Irish Justice Minister
Helen McEntee was speaking as a heavy police presence was mounted across Dublin following rioting in the Irish capital on Thursday night.
Over £280,000 raised for Deliveroo hero who stopped Dublin child knife attack
A fundraiser for a hero Deliveroo driver who stopped a knife attack in Dublin has reached nearly £300,000 as it encouraged supporters to buy the brave Brazillian a pint.
Caio Benicio, 43, was hailed as a hero for ending an assault on three children in Dublin after he jumped off his bike to hit the attacker over the head with his helmet.
The father-of-two told the Daily Mail that he “acted by instinct” after he drove past Parnell Square and saw what he thought was a “normal fight”.
Mr Benicio said the man fell to the ground and others came over to help keep him there.
The hero driver who moved to Ireland from Rio de Janeiro a year ago said: “I didn’t have time to be afraid. I have two kids myself and I didn’t have time to be afraid, I just acted.”
Organiser Paul Darcy set up the GoFundMe page saying: “The man’s a hero and the least we can do is buy him a pint, so I’m asking you to donate the price of a pint of Guinness in your local so that he knows the people of Dublin appreciate him.”
Read more below.
Over £280,000 raised for Deliveroo hero who stopped Dublin child knife attack
The father-of-two said he ‘didn’t have time to be afraid’
How the Dublin riots began: From flares and fireworks at a crime scene to hundreds-strong mob
Violent riots that broke out across Dublin city centre on Thursday evening flared after a knife attack on children and their care assistant outside a school earlier in the day.
Three young children and an adult woman and man were all injured in the stabbings outside the Irish-medium primary school Gaelscoil Cholaiste Mhuire on Parnell Square East at approximately 1.30pm, an incident that immediately made headlines.
Garda (Irish police) said on Saturday that they are continuing to investigate the knife attack, which left a five-year-old girl in a critical condition and still fighting for her life in hospital on Saturday.
A second girl, aged 6, continues to receive medical treatment for less serious injuries in CHI Crumlin. A boy, aged 5, was discharged from CHI Crumlin yesterday evening.
The children’s care assistant, a woman in her 30s who was said by the authorities to have used her body to protect the children, remains in a serious condition in the Mater Hospital. A man in his 50s also remains in a serious condition in a hospital in the Dublin region.
Read more below.
Flares and fireworks at a crime scene: How the chaos in Dublin began
Irish capital rocked by violence, arson and looting after heated demonstration in response to school stabbing evolves into clashes with police
Elon Musk weighs in on Dublin riots claiming country’s PM ‘hates the Irish people’
Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and owner of X/Twitter, said Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar “hates the Irish people” after the nation announced its intent to “modernise” its laws against hate and hate speech.
The interaction took place on Mr Musk’s social media platform. He was responding to a meme account that shared a snippet of a news story about the legislative initiative and complained that the “Irish government want all of your freedoms.”
“Irish children were stabbed by a foreign man in Dublin yesterday yet the government twist the story and use the backlash as an opportunity to pass new hate speech laws,” the owner of the account wrote. “The Irish government want all of your freedoms.”
Mr Musk, the wealthiest man on the planet and the owner of one of the most influential social media platforms, responded to the account by saying “Ironically, the Irish PM hates the Irish people.”
Read more below.
Elon Musk weighs in on Dublin riots claiming country’s PM ‘hates the Irish people’
SpaceX owner is currently battling accusations that he has allowed antisemitic content to be shown alongisde major advertisers’ ads on X/Twitter