Castlebar schoolchildren attacked and intimidated

People encouraged to report intimidation to Castlebar Gardaí


Ciara Galvin
ciaragalvin@mayonews.ie

CONCERNED parents met with councillors, gardaí and social workers in the last week to discuss what actions must take place to put a stop to ongoing attacks and intimidation of young people around the Castlebar area.
The attacks, which are reported to be happening around the town on young people on their lunch break from school, have resulted in students staying within the confines of the school at lunchtime.
It has been reported both locally and nationally that the perpetrators are a group of travellers aged between 14 and 16 and are only new to the town. Castlebar Gardaí have stated they will be stepping up their efforts to prevent further attacks by putting more plain clothes gardaí on the streets of the county town.
The attackers are targeting students, beating them and threatening them in order to take their lunch money, and in some cases their phones and call credit.
Speaking about the attacks, Councillor Ger Deere said there had been a ‘marked improvement’ since the attacks were highlighted last week.
“At the meeting recently we spoke to Gardaí who agreed to put plain clothes Gardaí on the street at different times and possibly installing more CCTV,” said the Cllr Deere.
Cllr Deere told The Mayo News that certain areas of the town had been identified as locations where the alleged thuggery was taking place and added that lunchtimes, Saturdays and after school were the times the attacks were happening.
“If there isn’t a further improvement in the situation we’ll have to look at something else, but we hope that garda presence and CCTV will act as a deterrent.”
Letters are to be written to the parents of all students in each secondary school in Castlebar and will include information on reporting any incidence of this nature in the future.

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