The father of the boy stabbed in school in north Dublin this week said he "thought he was saying goodbye" to his son in hospital after the attack.
Stephen Geraghty's son Mason, 11, was stabbed in the back by another child at St Finian's National School in Finglas at around 10:30am on Tuesday morning. Mason was rushed to Temple Street Children's Hospital and remains in ICU there after the attack.
Mason's parents have spent much of this week at his bedside, and Stephen revealed that he believed he was "saying goodbye" to his son when he went in to talk to him while he was in a critical condition. "About an hour after he arrived at the hospital, there was a stage where he was critical", DublinLive reported.
"It was 50-50. I was asked to go in and comfort him. It's very hard when you're surrounded by about 20 odd people, different nurses and doctors and stuff like that."
"And I thought I was saying goodbye to him." Stephen believes it is a miracle that his son survived the attack.
He said: "He's a stab wound to the middle of his back - centimetres away from a main artery. It could have been a lot worse. He's doing really well. He's a little fighter. I don't know where he gets the strength from, the energy. He's only a tiny little thing."
"But he's doing really well, the nurses and surgeons, they are all very pleased with him."
The attack has left their family distraught. Mason's brother was playing in the same schoolyard just metres away from the incident. And Stephen is now keen for answers, saying nobody in Government has reached out to the family to assist them since the incident.
Gardai will not launch a criminal investigation because both parties are under the age of criminal responsibility. Under Sections 52 and 53 of The Children's Act 2001 a child under the age of 14 cannot be charged with a criminal offence.
Stephen said: "His younger brother, he was in the yard at the time, and then he just seen Mason over with his teacher with blood pouring from his back, so he's going to need help as well. My boy's been hard done by here. First of all, that he's in ICU at the minute."
"But then, second of all, this rule that nothing can be done and we just have to get on with our lives. It just makes no sense."
"I just want to say what's going to be done about this. Where's Mason's help here?"
"An eleven-year-old being stabbed in school, and I haven't heard a thing from anybody, a Minister of State or Minister for Education, I don't know." In a statement issued on Tuesday, Gardai said: "Earlier today, Gardai attended an incident that occurred at a primary school in North Dublin involving two children."
"Both children involved attend the school. One male child has been taken to a hospital in Dublin with injuries that are believed to be non-life threatening."
"Gardai are in contact with the parents of both children. An Garda Siochana is currently liaising with school management and staff with a view to identifying the precise circumstances around the incident."
"An Garda Siochana will continue to engage with all relevant State agencies regarding this incident. There is no concern for public safety."
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