Details emerge after 11-year-old boy suffers punctured lung in Dublin school stabbing

The shocking incident—which happened in front of a teacher and other classmates—took place at a school in Finglas, north Dublin, at around 10.30 am yesterday.

An 11-year-old boy was stabbed between his neck and shoulder, sources told the Irish Daily Mail, and suffered serious, although non-life-threatening, injuries.

It is understood the blade used to stab the boy was brought into school by his assailant, who is also 11 years old.

Both boys are in fifth class at St Finian’s National School, and were outside the building with their teacher when the attack happened. Gardaí [Irish police] could be seen on the grounds of the school shortly after the incident. The assailant will not face any criminal penalties as he falls below the age of criminal responsibility in Ireland, which is 12 years old.

Both boys are from "lovely families", sources stressed, and both sets of parents are fully cooperating with gardaí on the matter.

"Both boys are from lovely families"

However, all are "devastated" by the incident, security sources said. A source with knowledge of what happened said: "Obviously this is a very concerning incident for the parents of both children.

"But the young lad who was stabbed was attacked in the morning while the kids were outside for one of their lessons. He was stabbed from the back and he has suffered a punctured lung.

"This wasn’t a nick or a laceration, as we call it, it was a full-on stab.

"Luckily the injuries were not life-threatening but the child is in intensive care and obviously the parents are worried sick."

Gardaí are investigating the motive behind the attack, focusing on prior interactions between the children in class.

It is not the case that "a group of young boys were bullying the child for months and that the child lashed out," the Mail’s sources insisted.

However, there may have been one or two incidents in the last couple of weeks that annoyed the attacker, they suggested. Pupils will receive professional help, with those who witnessed the attack lined up for specialist care.

"Everyone will be looked after," another source told the Mail.

"There will be multiple meetings as well as psychological help. Both sets of families are doing as well as they can but they’ve been incredibly helpful to the gardaí and others. It is where to go to next that is the main concern."

Local councillor Conor Reddy, of People Before Profit, said he had been briefed by local gardaí and urged people to rely on information from the force as well as reputable sources.

"Some of these children have seen something that most adults in Ireland haven’t and it’s so important that they are helped as much as possible in the aftermath of something like this."

Local councillor Conor Reddy, of People Before Profit, said he had been briefed by local gardaí and urged people to rely on information from the force as well as reputable sources.

He wrote online: "Just spoke to Gardaí about an incident in St Finian’s NS, Finglas today. The situation is under control. Gardaí are investigating; a child is being treated for injuries and a statement with accurate information is likely to issue soon.

Inaccurate claims

"My thoughts are with children and staff who witnessed this shocking incident and with the child. The best source of information will be any statement released by Gardaí or the school. Be cautious of any other information you receive until then."

Social Media was awash with inaccurate claims in the aftermath of the incident.

Certain accounts linked to anti-migrant philosophies were quick to question the ethnicities of the children involved. Others claimed, in graphic posts, that the child suffered more gruesome injuries than he actually did. All were untrue.

Cllr Reddy said: "There has been a steady stream of speculation and fearmongering online, some coming from far outside our local area. Prominent international agitators and faceless social media accounts from Britain and the US seem to be feeding this, with domestic agitators following their lead. This helps nobody."

He said it "adds to the understandable fear and anguish felt by local people", particularly parents of children in the school. He added: "The spread of misinformation and disinformation during events like today’s is dangerous and sadly becoming a pattern. People need to be careful what sources they trust online, but the State must play its role by laying down the law to social media companies, who now serve as a megaphone for far-right figures like British agitator Tommy Robinson, who commented on today’s incident in Finglas within hours of it happening."

Gardaí confirmed they attended the incident scene and were "liaising with school management and staff with a view to identifying precise circumstances".

They will "continue to engage with all relevant State agencies", and stressed: "There’s no concern for public safety."

* This article was originally published on Extra.ie.