A young woman who was beaten with a hurling stick by a group of teenagers during a racist attack in Dublin says she “just hoping I wouldn’t die” during the incident.

25-year-old Akshaya Anand was walking to work at a warehouse in East Wall when she attacked by three or four teenagers late last year.

She said her attackers were shouting “go back home” and “you don’t deserve to be here” while they were beating her.

Akshaya was left with severe injuries to her face after the attack but has since made a full recovery.

“Very, very scary experience"

She told The Pat Kenny Show she no longer walks alone anywhere after the “very, very scary experience.”

She said she was making her way to an early morning shift when she came across the group in early October or late November.

“I changed my lane and they changed their lane too and in no time, they started hitting me and pushed me to the ground,” she said.

“They were passing comments and after that they hit me with the hurling bat.

“I just knew at that time that I cannot get up and protect myself or do any self-defence because there were three or four of them.”

Akshaya Anand after the attack.

Akshaya said one of the attackers was around 16 or 17-years-old, while the rest were between 13 and 15.

“While it was happening, I was just hoping I wouldn’t die,” she said.

“I don’t know if they were drugged, or they just wanted to have fun beating me – but I was just hoping I was going to be able to get up and breath.”

Akshaya Anand at home in Dublin.

She said the teenagers were laughing to themselves and shouting racist abuse throughout the attack.

“One thing I remember is them shouting: “You don’t deserve. You don’t deserve to be here. Like go back home, go back.”

“That’s all. Then they were laughing at each other while hitting me.

“That is all I could remember. I was just in shock thinking, is this really happening to me?

“I was in shock because I had just heard stories. I wasn’t able to able to believe that was actually happening. I am actually getting beaten up.”

Fear

Akshaya said she will always carry the attack with her – noting that she is now too afraid to go into town or the visit pubs in Dublin.

“Even I go, I make sure to stay in my friend’s place in the city centre,” she said.

“Definitely I will always carry that mentally. It made a very big impact on my mental space to be honest.”

Racism

It is not the first time she has experienced racism since coming to Ireland – and she said her friends have also been attacked in the city.

Akshaya told Pat she is thankful to have made a full recovery in the months since and she has now got a new job, meaning she no longer needs to walk the streets in the dark.

“I hope that never ever happens with anyone who is in Ireland or coming to Ireland,” she said. “I hope they never have to go through that.”

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