The attacks seem to be becoming “more violent and more dangerous”, a local councillor has warned.
Gardaí have said they are investigating after reports of gangs of youths in Cabra in north Dublin carrying out “random attacks” and uploading footage of the incidents on TikTok.
According to Sinn Féin councillor for Cabra-Glasnevin Séamas McGrattan, the attacks began before Christmas.
“There was a number of random attacks and it seemed to be primarily based locally in between Cabra and Finglas gangs,” he told Newstalk’s Lunchtime Live.
“But since Christmas… it’s right across the city. There’s gangs coming from different areas.
“They’re linking up with gangs from different parts of the city. They’re fighting against each other one week, they’re with that gang the following week.
“It’s all organised through social media, primarily TikTok, and it’s being videoed and shared around.”
McGrattan said the attacks seem to be becoming “more violent and more dangerous” and that they have resulted in youths being hospitalised with serious head injuries.
“Thankfully nothing more serious has happened but it’s probably only a matter of time as this keeps escalating,” he told the show.
He also said there have been local efforts to raise awareness of the problem, particularly to parents.
The campaign involves local youth services and schools and has seen leaflets being sent to houses in Cabra West alerting residents to the issue.
In response to a JOE query regarding reports of the attacks, a Garda spokesperson said:
“Gardaí in Cabra are aware of a number of public order incidents which are subsequently been posted on various social media platforms.
“Gardaí are investigating these incidents in collaboration with other Garda districts within this catchment area.
“Cabra Gardaí, together with all the other relevant agencies, will continue to proactively engage with Cabra Youth to reduce such incidents occurring.”
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