The heartbroken family of Chicago baseball bat assault victim Natasha McShane have said they can never ‘hate’ her attackers.

Natasha’s mum Sheila is currently in America to witness the trial of Heriberto Viramontes who is accused to beating the young Irish student with a baseball bat.

Viramontes hit Natasha so hard that is no longer able to walk or talk because of the brain damage inflicted in the assault.

Pal Stacy Jurich and Natasha were attacked by junkie Viramontes and his then girlfriend Marcy Cruz as they walked home down a Chicago street in 2010.

Cruz has already been sentenced to 22 years after admitting to the crime and is to give evidence against her ex lover in the trial. Viramontes denies attempting to murder both women among 25 related charges according to a report in the Irish Sun newspaper.

And Natasha’s grandmother Bernie McShane, who helps care for the former student at her Silverbridge, home has revealed she can never ‘hate’ the man who wrecked her 27-year-old granddaughter's life.

She told the paper she hopes for a sentence that ‘fits the crime’ but doesn’t like to think about the people who caused so much pain.

Bernie said: “I would never dwell on them. Not over this last three years, I have never dwelled on them.

“My whole focus is on Natasha and the fact that we still have her. There’s no point living your whole life, and every day that comes and goes, feeling bitter and twisted about anybody.

“I would never hate someone, never get caught up in hatred. It doesn’t get you anywhere and it doesn’t help Natasha.”

Natasha, 23 at the time of the attack, was flown home three months after the assault.

The young girl was on a student exchange with the University of Illinois, studying urban planning, when she was viciously attacked.

The Viramontes’ trial is expected to last around two weeks.