A 16-year-old boy was battered with a road sign in a city centre attack being linked to anti-social-behaviour in the north of the city.
And the teenager’s girlfriend suffered a “busted nose” as she “wrapped herself around” her boyfriend in an effort to protect him from the suspected sectarian attack that saw as many as 30 people swarm around the couple.
Speaking to Belfast Live, the victim’s mother says her son and his girlfriend were saved from more serious injuries when doormen at the Revolución de Cuba club came to their aid. The North Belfast mum, who wants to remain anonymous to protect her son from further attacks, says she was told the doormen “had to stand at the front” of the club as some of the gang “were all trying to charge in to get him”.
She added that she believes the attack is linked to ongoing harassment of her son and associated anti-social behaviour that had been ongoing in the area around the Girdwood complex in North Belfast.
She said that her son had gone into the city centre with his girlfriend to visit a fast-food outlet but that he was recognised by a one of a gang of lads that passed by in the Chicester Street area. The assault started seconds later with one of the gang hitting the teenager over the head with a road sign and “punches flying” at the couple.
The couple managed to get to safety after doormen at Revolución de Cuba intervened and took them inside. One of the doormen used the victim’s phone to ring his mother and get her to come and collect the pair.
The PSNI confirmed they are investigating “an assault on a teenage boy and girl, both aged 16, in Belfast city centre”.
A spokesman added: “The assault reportedly took place in the Chichester Street area close to the pedestrian junction of Arthur Street on Saturday, 5th April, at around 8.30pm. A group of young people, approximately 10 people, approached the two and shouted abuse in their direction.
“The crowd grew to up to 30 with one throwing a road sign in their direction. The boy was then kicked and punched before they both ran off in the direction of a local business. The male sustained an ear injury in the attack and did not require hospital treatment in this assault which is being treated as a sectarian-motivated hate crime.
“Anyone with information or who witnessed the assault is asked to contact police on 101 quoting reference number 1709 05/04/25. You can also submit a report online using the non-emergency reporting form via www.psni.police.uk/makeareport or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org.”
Local DUP councillor for the Lower Oldpark area Jordan Doran said he was “shocked to hear of this sectarian attack on his constituents enjoying a night out in Belfast City Centre, a supposedly safe and shared space for all”.
He said: “This unprovoked attack was shameful but unsurprising given that the City Centre is fast becoming a hunting ground for gangs of young people many of whom have been dispersed from other interface areas in the city such as the Girdwood complex and Lower Falls and Shankill areas due to ongoing work on the ground by PSNI, youth workers and community leaders in these areas.”
Councillor Jordan also questioned the “lack of police resources and youth workers available in Belfast City Centre to deal with the large numbers of young people now gathering in the City Centre at the weekend”.
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