Gardaí have warned of significant disinformation following unsubstantiated claims an attempt was made to abduct a child in Finglas, Dublin, over the weekend.
In a statement on Monday, Garda Headquarters said it has received no report of an attempted child abduction or similar activity, “nor has An Garda Síochána any information to substantiate such claims”.
The warning comes as false information about several incidents, much of it spread by prominent anti-immigrant figures, continues to be shared on social media.
On Sunday, allegations began to spread online that foreign nationals had abducted and sexually assaulted a young child in Finglas. These allegations were shared by far-right groups, including the National Party.
‘I’m hoping at least one girl who is on the fence about reporting her violent boyfriend ... will read about my case’
What Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and the Greens promised in 2020 - and how much they delivered
Ciara Mageean: ‘I just felt numb. It wasn’t even sadness, it was just emptiness’
Restaurateur Gráinne O’Keefe: I cut out sugar from my diet and here’s how it went
Accounts also shared claims that locals had forcefully prevented two foreign nationals from targeting other children. There is no truth to claims these men were targeting children, gardaí said.
Gardaí confirmed that two foreign nationals were involved in a public order incident in the Finglas area. During the incident, a Moldovan man was assaulted on the street and forced to run into a supermarket. The force said the incident was relatively minor and not linked to allegations involving a young child. “It was a run-of-mill standard public order incident,” said a source.
Some people gathered at the Garda station demanding information on the men. They were encouraged by members of the National Party, who addressed locals outside the station while displaying anti-immigration banners. There have been online calls for more protests outside the station as well as “vigilante” action against immigrants. The Garda confirmed it is investigating the public order incident outside the supermarket.
Gardaí said they are aware “of suggestions of an inappropriate approach to children or attempted child abduction which led to this public order incident. No incident of attempted child abduction or similar activity has been reported to An Garda Síochána nor has An Garda Síochána any information to substantiate such claims.”
It said anyone with direct information on any such incident should contact Finglas Garda station.
“An Garda Síochána is very conscious of the volume of misinformation, disinformation and fake news circulating on this incident, and in general, particularly on social media and direct messaging platforms.”
It appealed to the public and media “to independently verify any information published on social media and/or messaging apps”.
The force also warned against vigilante action.
- Sign up for push alerts and have the best news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone
- Join The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date
- Listen to our Inside Politics podcast for the best political chat and analysis
