Lebeta Debela attack

maryishairy

Racism may lie behind attack on athlete

(From the Irish Examiner 10/08)

GARDAÍ in Limerick who were yesterday investigating a serious assault on a champion Ethiopian athlete have not ruled out a racist motive.

They also want to find out why the attack was not reported to gardaí.

Lebeta Debela, 22, who won the Limerick half-marathon last May, was knocked unconscious while out running on Knockalisheen Road.

He has been living at the refugee centre on Knockalisheen Road since April 2009.

After being viciously attacked by two men, Mr Debela was taken to the Mid-Western Regional Hospital. He was allowed home after treatment.

The assault happened last Thursday afternoon as he was on his way to meet other members of Limerick AC for a training session.

Supt Frank O’Brien from Henry Street Gardaí Station said they only became of the attack yesterday and were concerned that a serious assault should be carried out on any person, especially a foreign national.

"We would be very concerned about a serious assault. If there was a racist undertone to it, that would be a particularly distressing and worrying development, if this victim was targeted because of his race. We are very anxious to try and identify the culprits."

Supt O’Brien said they had no report of the attack on the Garda Pulse System and they will try and ascertain why they did not receive a report or complaint.

Supt O’Brien said: "We have got our ethnic liaison people to meet with the victim."

Paddy O’Connell, PRO of Limerick Athletic Club, said Mr Debela was an outstanding athlete and had won the Limerick half-marathon and the county road and cross-country championships this year.

Mr O’Connell said: "He was running on the road and moved in to let a car pass. As he did so two fellows attacked him and he was knocked unconscious.

"Somebody rang for an ambulance and he was brought to hospital. Lebeta was on his way to meet other club athletes at Shelbourne Park for training."

Mr O’Connell said he was not aware of any racial motive for the attack, but said the athlete had nothing other than his running gear on him at the time.

maryishairy

There are some terrible people in this world:mad:. Words couldn't do justice to the people behind this crime. He's a fantastic runner and hope to see him back as soon as possible.

shotgunmcos

This kind of sh!t boils my blood :mad: I hope he is ok. I've seen more people out running, walking and cyling this year in Limerick than ever before. Its great to see and I would hate for anyone to feel nervous about doing so. He obviously didn't see it coming as he would have left them for dust if they were on foot.

kingQuez

Just came across that on the irishtimes site:
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0810/1224276470298.html

Crazy stuff :mad:

T runner

This is terrible news. It really brings it home when it happens to a runner, one of our own, what every immigrant must fear in our society.

Hope he makes a speedy recovery.

mitresize5

scumbags .... absolute scumbags

tbh I doubt theres a racist motive to this bearing in mind the location of the attack. Its quite close to where an unfortuante heroin addict was shot and murdered for an alleged 70e debt. It doesnt take away from the seriousness of the crime mind you.

freedomrevolt

http://eggthedail.wordpress.com/2010/08/10/new-olympic-sport/

Saw this and thought I'd share. I too doubt it had anything to do with race. Wrong place wrong time in Limerick, it doesn't matter if you're Santa Claus.

Peckham

freedomrevolt wrote: »

http://eggthedail.wordpress.com/2010/08/10/new-olympic-sport/

Saw this and thought I'd share. I too doubt it had anything to do with race. Wrong place wrong time in Limerick, it doesn't matter if you're Santa Claus.

Let's not single out Limerick. This could have happened anywhere....and I'd agree, to anyone. We've had threads here before about boardsies being hit or having things thrown at them when out running. Albeit very rare events, still potentially very serious....as this event demonstrates.

Would this story have made the news if it wasn't for the race issue? If I was knocked unconscious running home from work, would it feature in the papers?

YFlyer

Hope he recovers soon.

Met him once at Willy Logans' acknowledgement dinner a few months back. A very quiet guy.

T runner

Peckham wrote: »

Let's not single out Limerick. This could have happened anywhere....and I'd agree, to anyone. We've had threads here before about boardsies being hit or having things thrown at them when out running. Albeit very rare events, still potentially very serious....as this event demonstrates.

We havent had any cases of boardsies being kicked unconcious.

It may have been race motivated or may not be.

This type of apparently random savage beating seems to happen a lot more regularly to immigrants than to locals. So although its true that it could happen to anyone it is also true that its far more likely to happen to an immigrant.

If youre a runner you may get things thrown at you. If youre a black runner you may get your head kicked unconcious.

Would this story have made the news if it wasn't for the race issue? If I was knocked unconscious running home from work, would it feature in the papers?

Probably not. No offence but this guy is a fairly high profile local athlete.

Hope they catch the culprits.

robinph

Didn't Radcliffe get attacked running in Limerick a few years ago.

If you want to make the news Peckham you need to be winning races it seems.

baza1976

T runner wrote: »

to happen to an immigrant.


Probably not. No offence but this guy is a fairly high profile local athlete.


Hope they catch the culprits.

Really??? I have only heard of him when he won the half marathon and nothing since?

Either way it shouldn't have happened and I hope he gets well soon.

I always get embarrassed when something like this happens in Limerick. :mad:

baza1976

robinph wrote: »

Didn't Radcliffe get attacked running in Limerick a few years ago.If you want to make the news Peckham you need to be winning races it seems.

No she didn't!!!!! She was running along the canal, same part the marathon was on. There was a horse on the bank and she had to hide behind some bushes or trees till it passed her. she was frightened that she would get a knock.

There was another athlete later (weeks or months) on also being treated by Hartman who was running along the canal when someone tried to push him in as he was passing

T runner

baza1976 wrote: »

Really??? I have only heard of him when he won the half marathon and nothing since?

He also won the Galway Bay half at least one other local win as well as a high finish on the Kilmurray 4. He was on the winning Limerick AC team for the indoor nationals this year. So a high profile local athlete is an accurate description.

The possible racial motivation may have pushed it more into the limelight.

baza1976 wrote: »

There was another athlete later (weeks or months) on also being treated by Hartman who was running along the canel when someone tried to push him in as he was passing

Yep, another African athlete, a world calss one I believe.

baza1976

T runner wrote: »

He also won the Galway Bay half at least one other local win as well as a high finish on the Kilmurray 4. He was on the winning Limerick AC team for the indoor nationals this year. So a high profile local athlete is an accurate description.

The possible racial motivation may have pushed it more into the limelight.



Yep, another African athlete, a world calss one I believe.

Not realy local races that you have mentioned. But even if the races were in Limerick he would have got very little if any coverage in the local papers in Limerick, they ususal Junior soccer/gaa/rugby and some boxing when Andy Lee is in town (:rolleyes:) have that wrapped up unfortunately.

But I'm just been pedantic here...... The guy was assaulted and it shouldn't have happened no matter if he is a superstar or 5 hr marathon runner.

robinph

baza1976 wrote: »

No she didn't!!!!! She was running along the canal, same part the marathon was on. There was a horse on the bank and she had to hide behind some bushes or trees till it passed her. she was frightened that she would get a knock.

I seriously doubt if any of the scumbags doing the attacking would even know who Sonia O'Sullivan is if they passed her in the street, so the likely hood of it being because he was a high profile athlete are slim to none.

The motive would not have been more than "Hey, look...some skinny person out for a run. lol!@11!!!1! Bet you can't hit them with that rock."

T runner

robinph wrote: »

I seriously doubt if any of the scumbags doing the attacking would even know who Sonia O'Sullivan is if they passed her in the street, so the likely hood of it being because he was a high profile athlete are slim to none.

The motive would not have been more than "Hey, look...some skinny person out for a run. lol!@11!!!1! Bet you can't hit them with that rock."

I think we were speculating that if the fact that he was a local high profile athlete might explain some of the press coverage rather than the fact that he was a local high profile athlete explaining the motive behind the attack.

Runners tend to get verbal abuse. The type of motiveless violent assault that this runner received is more common amongst racist hate filled attacks.

They motive might have been more "look at that black bast**d who the **** does he think he is...!