Main pic: Ballybofey Garda Station.
An investigation has been launched after a teenager was attacked by a group of young males in Ballybofey at the weekend.
The frightening incident took place on Chestnut Road, behind Finn Park, on Friday evening in broad daylight.
The victim, who is believed to be a non-Irish national, was attacked by a group of male teenagers who are understood to be local.
Worryingly, the incident was filmed by one of the group and circulated widely on WhatsApp and other messaging platforms.
The video clearly shows a boy on the ground in the middle of the road with at least three males on top of him and punching him. He later gets to his feet and attempts to fight back. A number of motorists stopped and could be heard telling the attackers that the guards had been called.
A spokesman for the Garda Press Office confirmed to Donegal Daily the matter was being investigated.
“Gardaí in Co. Donegal are investigating a report of an assault which took place in the Ballybofey area on Friday, 13th September,” he said.
It is understood that the young man did not receive any significant injuries, however, he was badly shaken as a result of the incident.
The confirmation of the garda investigation comes just hours after the launch of ‘We Don’t Want This’ : a campaign that aims to tackle viral videos of youth violence in Donegal.
Four attention-grabbing videos highlight the devastating impact of violence between youths being recorded and posted online.
The campaign aims to tackle growing concerns in Donegal over fighting footage spreading across social media.
The campaign shows that the violence, whether it’s outside schools or elsewhere, has far-reaching consequences for many people, including the victim of violence, the aggressor, the parents and the by-stander who records the incident.
Read the full report of the ‘We Don’t Want This’ launch here: https://www.donegaldaily.com/2024/09/17/we-dont-want-this-campaign-tackles-viral-videos-of-youth-violence-in-donegal/