Ireland's justice minister promised a "tough response" Thursday after an attack on an American tourist left the man with what police said are "life-changing injuries." The 57-year-old visitor from Washington, DC, had just left his guesthouse in central Dublin around 10:30pm Wednesday when he was attacked by a group of youths, RTE reports. The man was hospitalized in critical condition with severe head and facial injuries, believed to have been sustained when he was kicked in the head multiple times. Lawmakers condemned the attack and called for police to be given more resources, noting that it happened within a few hundred yards of the country's busiest police station.
Sources tell the Irish Times that the attack was "completely unprovoked." A source says the man's injuries are "life-changing but not life-threatening" and there are concerns about possible long-term brain damage. No arrests have been made and police are urging witnesses to come forward. Police say the three youths involved in the attack were part of a larger group, the Independent reports.
"There can be no excuse for such violence and intimidation and I fully understand the concerns of the local community," the justice minister, Helen McEntee, said in a statement. "A tough and firm response will send out the message that we will not tolerate this thuggery on our streets." (More Ireland stories.)
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