Londonderry: Assault on girl, 12, treated as sectarian hate crime

A father in Londonderry has said his 12-year-old daughter is now "terrified to go out" after she was attacked in an alleged sectarian assault.

Police said they are treating the incident, which happened at Shipquay Place at 17:20 BST, as a sectarian hate crime.

He told BBC News NI his daughter was beaten and kicked by a gang in the city centre on Monday afternoon.

The 12-year-old has been left "shook up and sore," her father said.

"She is afraid. She hasn't been sleeping at night, we sat up with her last night," he said.

He said his daughter had gone into town from her home in Derry's Waterside, with a friend on Monday afternoon, the first day of her Easter school holidays.

They had been in one of the city's shopping centres when first chased by a gang of other young people, he added.

"Then they went to meet another friend and the gang appeared again and she was attacked."

The father said his daughter was kicked repeatedly, had her hair pulled and was subjected to sectarian abuse.

The alleged assault happened at Shipquay Place

He said his daughter alerted him to what had happened and he went to pick her up in the city centre.

He was then confronted by one of his daughter's attackers, he said, who subjected him to more sectarian abuse.

"It has left me angry but you have to keep your cool. This shouldn't be happening in this day and age," he added.

'Disgusted'

A video of the incident has appeared on social media.

Ulster Unionist councillor Darren Guy said it had left him "disgusted".

Police have appealed for anyone who witnessed the assault to come forward. They said an incident in which a girl is reported to have been attacked by a number of other girls, was reported to them on Wednesday.

"Hate crime can have a long lasting, damaging impact on victims and their wider community," PSNI Sgt McCollum said.

"There is no place for hate and we take reports of this nature incredibly seriously".