Paul Sande from Malawi was assaulted by a man on the Luas

A student was hospitalised with a fractured skull after an alleged racist attack on the Luas.

Paul Sande from Malawi was assaulted by a man on the Luas at the Goldenbridge stop in Dublin at 11:30pm last Sunday.

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Describing the incident, Mr Sande, who is a student at Dorset College, said it came out of nowhere.

“There was this person on the Luas provoking people, saying there is a kid catcher around from the area,” he told Independent.ie.

“This one man, who got annoyed by that, walked straight to me and punched me for no reason at all.

“I did not say anything, I was on my phone. It (the punch) was straight in my eye and it shocked me.”

Mr Sande said that instead of finding out who the person provoking people was, the man punched him “because I was black so he thought it was easy.”

After the incident, Mr Sande said that the Gardai arrested the man who threw the punch and instructed Mr Sande to go to a hospital.

“But I was angry and I had poor thinking, so I thought I should still go home,” Mr Sande said. “But I got off the Red Cow Luas stop and called for an ambulance, which took me to Tallaght Hospital.”

He said he is “shocked” by the incident and “I have a fear in me now.”

“I can go out but still I feel unsafe,” he said.

According to the Gardai, a “suspected offender”, who is said to be a man in his 30s, was arrested on Sunday and taken to Crumlin Garda Station. He was released the following day.

The Gardai are currently investigating the incident.

Mr Sande’s sister has called the attack “racially motivated,” and has started a GoFundMe page to help pay for her brother’s hospital bills and rent in Dublin.

“My brother is on a student visa and can’t get government aid while he recovers,” she said. “He can’t work while he is recovering but he still has to pay his rent and other bills. His rent is €700 a month. I am trying to raise money to help him pay rent and bills for two months while he recovers.”

So far, the fundraiser has raised €1,597.

https://www.gofundme.com/help-my-brother-pay-rent

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