A CENTRE FOR people living with disabilities has had its windows smashed by vandals in Cork for a third time.
The Gilbert Centre in Mallow had four of its windows destroyed as well as having all its bins taken and set on fire on Friday night. It is expected to cost the centre, which caters for adults with physical disabilities, upwards of €1,500 to replace.
The centre has been targeted on a number of occasions, according to centre manager Susan Sands.
Speaking to Patricia Messinger on C103’s Cork Today Show, Sands said: “We’re a lovely centre here. We’ve been having vandalism for a while now. About six months ago, we got one of our windows put in. Then before Christmas, it was done again.
“This time on Friday night, they put through four of our windows. So this morning I have people in wheelchairs sitting in a room with glass because we’re leaving it for garda forensics.
I’m between nearly crying and nearly killing someone quite honestly. I cant believe they would do that to a centre which offers so much. I’m distraught. It’s such a violation for such a lovely centre.
While the centre does have CCTV, the vandals had been covering their faces while they launched a number of rocks at the windows. The incident is understood to have happened at around 7.30pm on Friday evening.
Gardaí are investigating the vandalism.
Sands added: “There must have been people around and this is what amazes me. Someone didn’t see what happened. There must be at least 60 stones at the foot of the window so they were throwing them for a while before they broke them. They’re big double-glazed windows. There’s still this big rock wedged in the window. It’s the same people doing it at all the time.”
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say