Attacked on the Luas today by teenagers, anything I can do about it?

Denis322

I was attacked on the Luas red line today. I’m sixteen years old, and at sometime between 17:30-17:40 on my way out of town to the Saggart stop today I was attacked by about five lads. They looked between 10-12 years old, and one of them was about 15. I was punched repeatedly in the face by several of the smaller ones, and then I was attacked quite violently by the older one. The guys who attacked me started about a minute before it reached the Cheeverstown stop, and as soon as the luas pulled up they ran off it. I was very shaken up after it, and my whole head was pounding. A few girls came over to myself and my friend after the lads had jumped off, and told me that they had been up at other end of the tram looking for a fight, but then came down to myself and my friend as it was only us down the end of the tram. They also told me that it is a regular occurrence with this group of guys hopping on starting fights and hopping off. I will always be very nervous on public transport from now on and I don’t know if I will be able to get the luas from Saggart again as I am very shaken up over it. I was wondering if there is anything that can be done, as I don’t know if there are cameras on the luas?

whydoibother?

If you were attacked by a group, report the incident to the gards and the people that operate the Luas. I'm sure there's CCTV. Also, if these guys are regular troublemakers, though it may look like they got away with it today, they may be caught later on and if your incident is on record, it could be dealt with then.

n97 mini

Go straight to your nearest Garda station and report the assault.

You should report this type of thing as quick as you can, as the scumbags that did it may still be hanging around.

KD345

Sorry to hear about your incident, I hope you're ok. Firstly, if you still have pains in your head you should seek medical help. You need to report this attack to the Gardai, perhaps ask your parents to accompany you to the local station and give the details. You should then contact Veolia, the company who operate Luas. Every Luas tram is fitted with high quality CCTV, each stop also has CCTV which covers most of the platform. Your attackers will have been caught on these cameras.

You have been assaulted, so if these teenagers can be caught, they can be taken to court. You really do need to report this, as it could be someone else next week. Luas and the Gardai can only act on these problems if they're reported.

Luas Customer Care: 1800 300 604 (not open on Sunday)
Your closest Garda station is either Clondalkin or Tallaght.

crazygeryy

The above posters are right.report it to the guards.
but if i lived on that side of the country id travel with u with a bunch of lads in the back round and kick the living **** out of them when they appear.

i hope your feeling better.
what a bunch of cowards they are.makes my blood boil.

Denis322

Thanks for the replies, I'm fine now my nose is just a bit sore. As you can imagine I don't really want to go talking to my parents about it as they'll be worried about me(as every parent would) and probably wouldn't want me going into town. I've emailed info@luas.ie reporting the assault so hoepfully they'll get back to me I don't know if that's the right email or not, but I was wondering if there's any way of reporting it to the gardai without going to the station? Although I suppose I'd probably need to go to the station for the complaint to be taken seriously...

PcAngel

Denis322 wrote: »

Thanks for the replies, I'm fine now my nose is just a bit sore. As you can imagine I don't really want to go talking to my parents about it as they'll be worried about me(as every parent would) and probably wouldn't want me going into town. I've emailed info@luas.ie reporting the assault so hoepfully they'll get back to me I don't know if that's the right email or not, but I was wondering if there's any way of reporting it to the gardai without going to the station? Although I suppose I'd probably need to go to the station for the complaint to be taken seriously...

Glad to hear you are ok. Go to the guards! You don't want these brats doing this again to you or anyone else. You did nothing wrong.

KD345

You will need to go to the Garda Station to make a statement. I'm not 100% sure, but because you're only 16, you may be required to have a parent or guardian with you. I can understand not wanting to worry your parents, but if my son or daughter was assaulted I'd want to know.

DublinWriter

Hope that you're OK Denis. Don't let it get you down.

There are cameras on the Luas. Report it to the guards, but don't expect much to come of it.

Dublin needs a dedicated public transport police.

muboop1

I hope your ok, I seriously advise you to go to. police. If you don't, someone else will likely suffer as you have.

-Chris-

+1,000 Go to the Gardai asap, before these lads get the chance to do this to someone else.

Don't wait for Veolia to respond, go straight to the Gardai.

Judgement Day

Did you report it to the driver of the tram?

Denis322

Judgement Day wrote: »

Did you report it to the driver of the tram?

No we were down the opposite end of the tram and got off at citywest shopping centre just a stop after I was attacked. We didn't really have a chance to go up to the driver and tbh I didn't even think of that at the time

AlekSmart

Get on the case to Luas asap (NOW).Use the Phone in preference to e-mail as it will most likely nlt be read until Monday,by which time the CCTV will have been wiped.

The on board video will have a very short retention time UNLESS an incident is reported and I'm sure that the platform CCTV will not be much different.

Once I read the OP's description of the location I rolled my eyes to heaven as since the opening of the Saggart extention the added complexity of the "Change at Belgard" routing has offered these savages a bit more scope for this carry on.

I would suggest that a great many regular red-line users will immediately recognize the perpetrators from the description...the group size is enough when added to the Alpha-Male who presides over them.

It would appear that this poster,having the ability to keep his knuckles from dragging along the ground marked him out as being "different" and therefore a threat.

Veolia/RPA and their security people need to get very pro-active on this issue before it becomes bogged down in politically correct cobblers about denying these poor underappreciated lads access to public transport.

However at the same time I would strongly advise anybody against confronting this group when alone or without a concept of self-protection as they WILL use extreme force to mark their territory.

Currently this particular group see themselves as "Owning" the stretch of Red-Line beyond Belgard and if the RPA wish to continue the success of the entire venture they must re-establish their ownership of it.

Run_to_da_hills

The Luas has one of the best CCTV systems on Irish transport I would be very surprised if these scumbags weren't recognised.

Victor

crazygeryy wrote: »

The above posters are right.report it to the guards.
but if i lived on that side of the country id travel with u with a bunch of lads in the back round and kick the living **** out of them when they appear.

i hope your feeling better.
what a bunch of cowards they are.makes my blood boil.

Advocating violence is not acceptable.

Denis322

Victor wrote: »

Advocating violence is not acceptable.

I understand this and I'm not gonna go out looking for these guys, but even still if this what they're like now imagine what they'll be like in a few years time. It's these people who are destroying the country.. :mad:

AlekSmart

Denis322 wrote: »

I understand this and I'm not gonna go out looking for these guys, but even still if this what they're like now imagine what they'll be like in a few years time. It's these people who are destroying the country.. :mad:

Unfortunately Denis,your point about who or what is destroying the country will shortly descend into a "Wharrabout the Bankers " slagging match....I should think a socially motivated poster will pop-up soon to make this point.

I tend to agree with your assessment however,as I very much doubt that even if we were awash with Milk & Honey in this country your attackers would be any less evilly inclined.

Run_to_da_hills :The Luas has one of the best CCTV systems on Irish transport I would be very surprised if these scumbags weren't recognised.

RTDH's point re the quality of Veolia's CCTV is valid,BUT in the absence of a publically confirmed will to utilise it,then you may as well hire a sketch artist to do charcoal profiles at each tram-stop.

D'Peoples Voice

Denis322 wrote: »

I was attacked on the Luas red line today. .....The guys who attacked me started about a minute before it reached the Cheeverstown stop, and as soon as the luas pulled up they ran off it.

Dennis, first of all, my sympathies, its must have been a terrifying experience, and unfortunately one that typically will live you for a while. As others posters said, go to the Gardai, your parents would be more upset if they thought you let the perpetrators get away with this - these type of scum thrive on fear from the public.

the sad thing, this was to be expected. Once i heard "Cheeverstown road", I let out a few expletives I can tell you!:mad: This is the very area that I had referenced before the extension was opened.http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056205088&page=6

As for the gardai/security stopping this, for fecks sake, bus drivers for the last 20 years have been subjected to abuse in this part of Dublin, and despite the best efforts of the Gardai, the courts let them down over and over again. Catching the scumbags is never the problem, getting them locked up is the problem:mad:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=66803615
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=59936928
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=69595043

firemouth

Keep your head up Denis!!dont let the f**kers get you down!!I can understand your reluctance to go to the guards but its the right thing to do.

Cuddlesworth

Don't worry about your parents finding out. Your going to come up with some nasty bruises on your face within 24 hours, they are going to find out what happened one way or the other. Might as well swallow your pride and do it the right way.

Denis322

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

Don't worry about your parents finding out. Your going to come up with some nasty bruises on your face within 24 hours, they are going to find out what happened one way or the other. Might as well swallow your pride and do it the right way.

Luckily enough I haven't got any big bruises on my face, I took some tablets and put some cream on my nose to reduce swelling as soon as I got home. All I have now is a pretty sore nose and some bruises on my head but thankfully I'm not a skinhead...

foggy_lad

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

The Luas has one of the best CCTV systems on Irish transport I would be very surprised if these scumbags weren't recognised.

Veolia are I'm sure already well aware of this group and probably know their names and addresses but when a judge will not lock the sh1ts up in a real prison for crimes like this they have nothing to fear and will continue abusing the luas and the travelling public for years.

Leeches like these have had the best that the education and training systems of the state offered to them and have been raised in one way or another by the state and the way they say thanks is to throw it back in the faces of the taxpayers who have funded their usually lavish lifestyles.

They cost the state millions between courts probation special schooling and Gardai time and resources as well as damage to other people's property and lives! They should have all state payments stopped and should be barred from all state buildings and property and jailed in mount joy if they transgress.

I would also suspect that the older member of the gang should be questioned about his relationships with other members of the gang, most teenagers don't want to be seen with those a few years younger. Is ther Somme kind of mental/physical abuse or bullying happening here? Probably.

-Chris-

Can we please try and help the OP with their situation and not just devolve the thread into rants about scumbags, how they're supported by the state, and how they're obviously mentally and physically abused? :rolleyes:

I mean, seriously...

Cuddlesworth

Denis322 wrote: »

Luckily enough I haven't got any big bruises on my face, I took some tablets and put some cream on my nose to reduce swelling as soon as I got home. All I have now is a pretty sore nose and some bruises on my head but thankfully I'm not a skinhead...

. Come back to me tomorrow.

AlekSmart

foggy_lad wrote: »

Veolia are I'm sure already well aware of this group and probably know their names and addresses but when a judge will not lock the sh1ts up in a real prison for crimes like this they have nothing to fear and will continue abusing the luas and the travelling public for years.

I would also suspect that the older member of the gang should be questioned about his relationships with other members of the gang, most teenagers don't want to be seen with those a few years younger. Is ther Somme kind of mental/physical abuse or bullying happening here? Probably.

Going on Denis's description and the location of the attack it's likely to be one of two groups,mainly male but with occasional female backup.

However,to thwart Foggy_Lads desire for incarceration,at least half of these groups are under 16,with some appearing to be much younger.

The alpha-male in both cases is perhaps 17,so they might be the only one's to suffer a bit of pokey-time.

The remainder would almost certainly be dealt with under the Juvenile Liason Scheme or the Probation Act,both schemes of limited proven usefulness as far as deterrent goes.

There is also the Anti Social Behaviour Order scheme which, for reasons best known to themselves,the Gardai have shown little enthusiasm for.

The Gardai are in a difficult situation when dealing with adolescent criminals as once apprehended they musty be at all times treated with the utmost care and caution.

Most of the youthful perps involved in this particular scenario will have a very clear and detailed knowledge of how the system operates and will insist on it being fully implimented should they be detained.

CeedoPee

My advice: buy on ebay small can of pepper spray. I got one for my girlfriend- lipstick size.

Sultan of Bling

CeedoPee wrote: »

My advice: buy on ebay small can of pepper spray. I got one for my girlfriend- lipstick size.

Then he/she would be breaking the law. I think it might be illegal to carry pepper spray afaik.

Another course of action OP would be to claim for personal injury by putting a claim through the Injuries Board, and inform Veolia of this, they will be sure to contact you quickly then, however if you are under 18 you will need one of your parents to do this on your behalf.

Tell your parents what happened though OP. Don't let them away with it.

superstoner90

i really dont undersatnd why you dont want your parents to find out? im sure you want them good for nothing chaps cought, dont you? but your parents are ment to be there for you when things like this happens, also if you dont report the insident to the gards them f*cktards with continue to do this...

Mikros

CeedoPee wrote: »

My advice: buy on ebay small can of pepper spray. I got one for my girlfriend- lipstick size.

Terrible idea.

Pepper spray is classed as a firearm under the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act and is illegal to have in your possession. That also means if you used it in an assault you would be liable for prosecution, and you will not be able to use self-defence as an argument.

Secondly bringing a weapon out in that sort of situation is always a dangerous move as you automatically raise the stakes. Can you be sure you will deploy it correctly in a very stressful environment? Can you be sure it will be effective? Are there other potential attackers around?

I know it might be a nice mental crutch to have it with you, but the reality if you ever needed to use it is a very different story.

n97 mini

Mikros wrote: »

Pepper spray is classed as a firearm under the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act and is illegal to have in your possession.

Can you provide a link to the Statute Book to back that up? I have searched and can't find a reference to pepper spray.