A committee of parents concerned about sustained harassment and violence against their children in Castlebar is to meet with the local Superintendent and senior HSE social worker next week to try and find solutions to this growing problem.
A public meeting attracted 25 angry and frustrated parents to the TF Royal Hotel on Wednesday night to discuss what has been described as an epidemic of harassment and bullying in Castlebar.
Chairing the meeting local Independent Councillor Michael Kilcoyne said he had been contacted by a number of concerned parents whose children are persistently being targeted by thugs who steal their phones and money. He outlined that a wider problem also existed in the town where families had been forced to move out of estates due to harassment and intimidation.
There was consensus at the meeting that the main culprits were members of the Travelling community with a few members of the settled community giving a helping hand.
The culprits were known to the parents and named at the meeting but despite representations to the local gardaí and social workers, those present felt there was nothing being done to protect their children.
Such was the level of fear that the parents and their children have against their attackers no one wanted to be named publicly or have their estates named for fear of being identified.
There was also reluctance from the floor to let their names go forward to a committee but four parents eventually agreed to join Cllr Kilcoyne and Cllr Ger Deere in this grouping which will meet with authorities next week.
One lady told the meeting that the harassment was nothing new and had been going on for years. She said her son had been bullied and intimidated but when she contacted the gardaí they said they could do nothing because the offenders were underage. She expressed strong opinions about what should be done to these young “thugs” and suggested that their child benefit payments should be stopped if they are not attending school.
Another man recounted seeing bullies holding a youth to the ground and beating him before he jumped to the boy’s rescue. The sad thing was the victim told the man he had only made things worse for him by coming to his rescue.
“We’re all fair game, our property is fair game,” one lady said, adding that kids are getting threatening texts telling them they will be cut up and stabbed.
Another man said there was a gang loitering outside St Gerald’s College the day of the meeting waiting for students to come out to harass. Another lady said they are across from Davitt College every day dressed in their customary trousers tucked into white socks.
“They are making a fortune out of this,” the meeting heard. “Some kids are so scared they just automatically hand over their money,” a worried mother added.
Members of the audience wanted to stress that there were some very “sound” Travellers living in the town but there was an element that was causing mayhem on a continuous basis and getting away with it.
They was also an opinion expressed that the culprits are moving “serious amounts” of dope around town.
There was a further claim that some of the main offenders are non-Travellers who were relocated to Castlebar from Limerick.
Parents believe that the gardaí know who the bullies are but despite complaints from the public they feel nothing is being done to address the situation.
“Kids are afraid to go up town and get a burger or go to the library because they will get the s**t kicked out of them,” one irate man said.
Cllr Ger Deere said he had received several phone calls since the meeting was called detailing the same pattern: “Groups of Travellers causing havoc.” He agreed with the sentiment of the meeting that there needed to be a multidisciplinary approach to the issue.
Cllr Blackie Gavin was shocked at the stories he heard, while Cllr Noreen Heston asked for the names of the “bullies” and she said she would knock on their doors.
The overriding fear was that “someone will be killed” before Christmas night passes unless action is taken now.
