Children as young as 10-years-old are believed to have been involved in an attack on two international students in Dublin last week.

The young men said they were attacked by a group of eight to ten children in a south-side park as they returned home from college.

On Newstalk Breakfast, international student Prince Kumar Singh said his friend had to get stitches in his head after one of the children threw a bicycle lock at him.

The injuries suffered by n international student following an attack in a Dublin park, 15-01-2020

“Some of them were 10-years-old and some of them 11 or 12-years old,” he said. “Small kids so we can’t do anything for our self-defence.”

“I can’t touch a teenager so I just told them ‘please stop doing this.’ They started abusing us and we started running away from the situation.

“They tried to chase us and asked us for money. They tried to take our bags and when we started running, they threw the bicycle lock.”

File photo of an international student who was attacked in a Dublin park on the 15-01-2020

He said that when they reported the attack to the Gardaí, they were told not to walk through the park after dark.

“They told us to use the main road because there is no light in the park so it is too dangerous for anyone,” he said.

He said he no longer feels safe in Dublin.

“These kinds of things can happen anywhere in Dublin,” he said. “In the city centre, anywhere you will find these gangs of kids and they are doing things, throwing things at the international community.

“Especially international students because they know we can’t do anything for our self-defence.”

Prince Kumar Singh who was attacked in a Dublin park on the 15-01-2020

He said the international community needs greater protection.

“I think that Dublin is a very beautiful city,” he said. “I really like this city. I enjoy this city very much so I am not saying that everybody is the same.

“Lots of people in Ireland they are very helpful, they are very good-natured – but these kids, they always harm the people.”