Drink poured over man with Down Syndrome

A community in Cork has been left shocked following an incident in which a man with Down Syndrome was harassed and had a drink poured over him while waiting for a bus.

The incident took place in Carrigaline town at around 3pm on Saturday afternoon.

According to a post by the victim’s brother on the Carrigaline Notice Board Facebook page, a man in his 20s began taunting the victim before shouting at him and pouring what appeared to be a red slushie drink over him. According to the post, a number of passersby intervened and the gardaí were called to the scene. The victim’s brother said he understood that gardaí are reviewing CCTV footage to see if the man can be identified. The victim’s brother is appealing to any member of the public who might have witnessed the incident or have any information about it to get in touch via the Carrigaline Notice Board Facebook page or by contacting the gardaí.

Local county councillor, Úna McCarthy (Fine Gael) said she had heard about the incident, describing it as “very upsetting” for the victim and the wider community.

She said: “Nobody should be subjected to harassment or degrading treatment.

“Carrigaline is a strong and caring community, and I know people locally will be very concerned to hear about an incident of this nature.

“Any alleged behaviour of that kind is completely unacceptable and has no place in our community.”