Local media reports identified the victim as Stephen Termini. Mike Rizzuto, identified by public media organization RTE as Termini’s son, told the outlet his father is an artist and musician who loves to travel. A GoFundMe page organized by Rizzuto says he was fulfilling a dream of visiting Ireland and investigating family history there. Posts on the Facebook page for Rizzuto’s band says Termini was beaten by “multiple teenagers” and at one point was “clinging to life” in a coma.
A police statement dated July 20 confirmed one juvenile was arrested for nonfatal offenses and charged. Two reports filed by the Irish Garda on Thursday confirmed that an additional two male juveniles were separately charged in the same assault. The BBC reported the attackers are 14, 15 and 16.
The Garda told The Post on Thursday it does not comment on ongoing investigations and cannot comment on matters before the courts.
The U.S. travel warning, announced Tuesday, references “a number of recent incidents” driving the embassy’s push for security awareness. The embassy recommends against walking alone at night and tells travelers to avoid wearing expensive or flashy jewelry that can draw the attention of thieves.
The U.S. Embassy in Dublin says in its warning that pickpocketing and mugging are more likely when people are staring at their phones or listening to loud music with headphones. Tourists are advised to look up the locations of their destinations ahead of time to gain a familiarity with the area. To increase safety resources, visitors can identify the phone number for emergency services in the area. In Ireland, visitors can call 112 or 999.
“Travelers should safeguard valuables, such as credit cards and passports, and refrain from carrying large amounts of cash,” the embassy wrote. The organization also encouraged citizens to “be aware of their surroundings, especially when traveling in unfamiliar places, crowded locations, empty streets, or at night.”
In a previous incident in June, Ukrainian actor Oleksandr Hrekov was attacked after a performance at Dublin’s Abbey Theatre, according to reporting from the Irish Times. The 23-year-old actor, visiting Dublin with a Kyiv traveling acting troupe, had finished a performance of “Translations” by Irish playwright Brian Friel when he was attacked by five people. Images taken after the attack show the actor with severe lacerations across his face and stitches along his chin and cheek. The attackers hit Hrekov’s face with glass and bit him before attempting to steal a pack of cigarettes.
In a statement to the Irish Times, the Abbey Theatre called the attack an “unprovoked, random act of mindless violence.”
