It is always a worry to read about unprovoked attacks on people as it could be any of us. And this week alone there have been three violent assaults in the city.
The incident depicted in our lead story is the most serious from an injuries point of view. A young man has been left fighting for his life after being stabbed in an incident in an apartment on New Street on Wednesday evening.
This is a very serious incident and we can only hope that the man makes a full recovery over coming weeks.
The second incident involved an elderly woman who was attacked on her way into St John’s Church on the Dublin Road. She was knocked to the ground and her handbag was stolen in the attack. She suffered hip injuries and of course was badly shaken after the assault.
The dregs of society would only get involved in a crime of this nature against a defenceless, elderly person. But unfortunately we are seeing more and more of this type of incident in recent years. The crimes are getting harsher and harsher and these days nobody is untouchable — the elderly, the clergy, the Gardaí.
And there is nothing anyone can do to stop these thugs. The poor woman who was attacked in the church yard, was hit in broad daylight. It could have been anyone.
There was a third person attacked in an incident on St Mary’s Lane also this week when a man had property stolen from him.
One has to wonder about what is provoking these assaults. And it becomes more clear when you speak to those who know that possibly drugs and alcohol addictions have a lot to do with it.
Unfortunately, crime and drugs tend to go hand in hand these days and if we could do something to combat these problems we might go a long way towards addressing our massive problem with crime and criminal gangs in this country. One would have to look at other countries that have more stringent punishments for criminals and the positive effect this has on their society, and question whether our system is somewhat lenient in comparison.
With our prisons overcrowded and our courts spilling out with backlogs of criminal cases all awaiting hearing, there is little wonder why ‘small-time crime’ goes unpunished. But if there is no punishment, there is no reason to stop and that leaves the rest of society at risk.
There is no deterrent for small time criminals in this country and so they constantly re-offend in order to get what they want. ASBOs don’t seem to have been all that successful here, if they are being used at all, and the gardaí are at their wits end arresting the same people day in, day out.
And unfortunately there won’t be much done to address our spiralling situation for the foreseeable future because any positive development will cost money that we simply do not have.
So until then, the best advice is to look out for your neighbours and yourself. Keep an eye on the elderly and report any suspicious behaviour in your area to the Gardaí in a bid to stop crime before it happens.
