KOTTAYAM: A six-year-old Malayali girl was subjected to racial abuse by a group of Irish-origin boys in Waterford, Ireland. The child is the daughter of a nurse from Kottayam, Kerala.

The incident occurred while the mother had briefly gone inside the house to feed her 10-month-old baby. During this time, the girl was playing outside with friends when five boys, aged between 12 and 14, allegedly surrounded her and hurled racial slurs, telling her to “go back to India.”

It is also alleged that the boys physically assaulted the child, hitting her on the face and private parts with a bicycle, and pulling her hair. After the attack, the group reportedly left the scene on bicycles.

The girl’s mother has been working as a nurse in Waterford for the past eight years. She had recently obtained Irish citizenship. Authorities have launched an investigation into the incident.