LAST UPDATE | 23 Jul 2023

A YOUNG MAN has been charged in relation to an attack on an American tourist on Dublin’s Talbot Street on Wednesday night.

Gardaí arrested the teenager this morning and he was brought before the Children’s Court.

The tourist was brought to Beaumont Hospital and is in a serious but stable condition after the attack by a “number of persons” at around 10.40pm, Gardaí said.

The man, who has been identified by his family as Stephen Termini, is said to be at risk of losing an eye due to the injuries he sustained.

Speaking to The Journal, the victim’s sister has said her brother is from Buffalo in New York and had “saved every penny” to make his “dream visit” to Ireland.

In a statement this afternoon, a Garda spokesperson said:

“The male juvenile arrested for the alleged offence contrary to the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, 1997 has been charged.”

“The juvenile has appeared before a special sitting of the Children’s Court which was already held at the Criminal Courts of Justice this afternoon.”

The accused will appear before the Children’s Court again later this week.

The attack was widely condemned by politicians, with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar saying it Is “never acceptable” when violence happens and that he hopes the man makes a “speedy recovery”.

Speaking on RTÉ’s This Week programme, Social Democrats TD for Dublin Central Gary Gannon said that more Gardaí were needed in the inner city.

“We have fallen below 14,000 Gardaí in the state. But we still have to allocate that provision of Gardaí based on where we need the most,” he said.

“I can’t imagine a place where we need more Garda presence than in the central part of our capital city. At a very minimum people have a right to go into the city centre for whatever purpose they may need, and feel safe,”

“In any other European capital you’ll see people there in uniforms creating a presence,” he said, adding that he’d like to see Gardaí on O’Connell Street, Grafton Street and surrounding areas.

Dublin City Councillor Nial Ring said that the attack on the tourist has “appalled everyone in the area”.

“The fact that it took place within yards of the busiest Garda station in the country, makes it even more disturbing,” Ring said.

Ring said he did not want to see Talbot Street and the surrounding streets become a “no go area”.

A GoFundMe account has been set up by the man’s son and his sister.