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ONE OF THE teenagers injured in an apparent acid attack in Waterford has said he didn’t think he would ever be able to see again.
Tega Agberhiere (16) was one of three teenage boys attacked with a chemical last Thursday and the promising footballer has now said his sight is returning.
(Click here if video doesn’t play)
Speaking to Damien Tiernan of WLR FM, the youngster said he wished to thank everyone who’s been messaging him with support.
“I’m just grateful for everyone who’s texted and been messaging me and saying nice things, it’s helping me get through everything. Every day I’m getting better with all the messages I’m getting. I’m just grateful for them, I want to say thanks.”
Asked about his pain levels and his sight, Tega said they are improving all the time and that doctors have said his sight should return to normal.
I’m getting better every day, feeling less pain and that to be honest. I can see from both eyes, it’s just that it’s only a little bit swollen so it’s hard to open them.
“I should be able to see, my vision will be able to get to how it was before soon.”
Speaking about the pain he felt after the attack, he said it was unimaginable.
“I can’t describe it. When I got here I thought I’d never be able to see again. I 100% thought I’d never be able to see another thing in my life.”
Tega’s mother Christy also said she wanted to thank the doctors and nurses who have helped her son and the community who’ve been supporting them.
Tega has had trials with Crystal Palace and Tottenham, his mother said, and has played for Ireland for the under 15s and under 16s national football teams.
He is due to do his Leaving Cert in June.
On Saturday, four male youths aged in their late teens were arrested and released without charge in relation to the incident. A file will be prepared for the Director for Public Prosecutions, gardaí said on Tuesday.
Gardaí are appealing for witnesses and are particularly appealing to anyone who was in the Earlscourt area of Waterford at around 11pm last Thursday, 25 April.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Waterford Garda Station on 051 305300 or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111.
Please God they catch who did this. I’d happily pay a reward if it helped.
@Peter Cavey: it sounds like they have caught them, they just need to send the file to the DPP who then decide if they’ll prosecute or not.
@Karen Wellington: They should be dipped in the acid they threw
@Shaun Gallagher: is that’s a new take on a suspended sentence? It’s definitely an improvement on the current system.
Harsh and mandatory sentences for attacks like this are the only thing that will deter other brave men. Get well soon kid, hope you have a fantastic football career ahead.
@Grumpyoldtroll: won’t happen, what seems to be mandatory is how much of the sentence will be suspended.
@Grumpyoldtroll: they’ll have to come down hard on this, as you say, there needs to be a severe punishment to deter any other similar attacks.
Deliberately doing this is one of the most cowardly things someone can do. People who are capable of doing this to another person need to be locked up.
@Nathan Mawhinney: won’t work. Follow a civil case for bodily harm where the donkeys who did this have to pay each week if needs be to satisfy the award
That is the true killer – the pocket
To think his mother decided to move to Ireland & live in Waterford thinking it would be a safe place to raise her son & this happens. I don’t care how young these kids are the punishment should be severe to deter similar attacks in the future. I hope to god he isn’t badly scarred.
Unfortunately the teenagers are in Ireland out of control.
Not saying all of them but some of them are sure very dangerous.
And there are not control from the country itself.
If you report any incident to Garda, they don’t care about it either.
Poor young fella, can’t believe the levels of wanton violence in this country sometimes. Whoever did this needs to be caught and severely dealt with. Absolute bottom feeding dirt-bags.
Utterly atrocious.. just thinking of one of my children going through this . shivers the spine
Serious sentence needed here. Horrific thing to do to someone.
Its scary to think something so easily gotten can be such a deadly weapon.
The poor guys. This type of crime is horrific. What is wrong with people? I dred my daughter growing into her teens. Between bullying and assaults it’s terrifying growing up these days.
The fact that it hasn’t been called a racist attack is telling…..they must know the individuals concerned
@IRL77: well they did arrest 4 people and are sending a file to the DPP, so it’s probably safe to say they know who did it
@IRL77: I live in Waterford and what I have heard anecdotally is that Tega was not the targeted individual. Not that this makes it any better
Should be 15 years minimum for an attack like that
@Peter Govan: Let’s round it up to 20
Pure and utter filth
@Daithi Ó Raghallaigh: Spare the rod?
What a courageous young man…my heart & best wishes go out to him…
Tried but just couldn’t watch the video through. What courage from a young lad. Easy to get angry as I really do feel angry: justices draw a line this time. I understand rehabilitation is important but so is prevention.
Was beginning to wonder why we hadnt begun to see this kind of incident here yet. Soon the knifing epidemic will start and we’ll be right up to date.
@Bill ORourke: Jesus I hope not! Poor kid. Hope he makes a full recovery. And like everyone else I hope they come down very hard on the guilty party.
I hope they punish the individuals who did this very severely, there needs to be a punishment to fit the crime. Hopefully Tega will continue to get better and his academic and sporting activities will get back on the track they were on before this happened. It gives us hope for humanity that Tega and his family are being comforted and supported so well by the medical team and the whole community.
Government now act!!!!! This is what you are elected to do
@Marty: They can’t even decide if they want revenge porn illegal yet… But when it comes to a pay rise then they are quick enough with that?
Hope the lad makes a full recovery. Hope they find the ones that did it and give them a good beating then send them to jail.
Poor, poor man. Very tough on him. Words fail me to understand the mentality of someone who would do this to him.
Where are the youth of this country headed? Poor fella hope he gets over this somehow. Hope those bad articles are caught and made an example of (custodial sentence!) soon.
Basstardss. Hope they catch these animals
@Declan Leonard: Animals don’t do this except certain snakes?
Absolutely despicable act. What sort of children are parents rearing in this country that could do this to another child. I despair for the future.
@Loretta stiletto: Parents aren’t rearing their children, they let the TV, Computer games and Social Media to rear them instead…
@TamuMassif2019: yeah that’s it bang on
I hope whoever did this is brought to justice. They should be shamed for the rest of their lives for such a despicable act
I’m a born and bred irish man but if this happened to an irish boy they’d have the racists saying it’s gang related and they want these immigrants out although it’s not about that hope he makes a full recovery
@M.A: I get what you’re saying but he is an Irish boy
Those skmbgs are kids. They’ll get 2/3 months, max.
My heart breaks for those poor lads and the damage they live with
@: We have a whole generation of them out there, look at the UK with acid attacks and knife crimes. We here copy what the UK and US does in many cases???
Omg, what is this country coming to! An innocent young man attacked in the most cowardly way. I hope he recovers unscarred, both physically and mentally from this. Hope the people who did this feel the full force of our justice system come down on their heads and they get a prison sentence to deter would be copy cat attacks. These attacks are much more common in UK so we need to send out a very strong message that it is not tolerated here_ no excuses!! Stay strong young man.
Lock them up for life and throw away the key buts it’s Ireland and its useless justice system probaly get away with it or very short sentence? Bloody country like a war zone
Poor child my heart breaks for him. Strong kid
OMG I can’t believe it, thinking of my own children growing up in Ireland.
I feel the pain the hall family is going through, poor kids, stay strong and positive
Omg this is scary, thinking of my own children growing up in Ireland.
Poor kids get well soon, I feel the pains the hall family is going through. Stay strong
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