The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court sentenced 26-year-old Bakuani Diasivi to 18 months' imprisonment, suspended, for a brutal attack on an 11-year-old Polish boy. The incident occurred on a suburban DART train in July 2024 when a Polish family was conversing in their native language. The perpetrator, despite an extensive record encompassing 24 prior convictions, was given "one more chance" by the judge, sparking a wave of commentary in Polish and Irish media.

Sentence Without Immediate Imprisonment

The court imposed an 18-month prison sentence but suspended its execution despite the perpetrator's numerous prior convictions.

Recidivism and Other Crimes

Bakuani Diasivi has 24 prior convictions and has admitted involvement in another, fatal attack.

National Background of the Attack

The aggression began because the Polish family was conversing in their native language and behaving casually.

During the hearing at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, details of the incident that shocked the Polish community in Ireland were revealed. On July 2, 2024, on a train between Sydney Parade and Lansdowne Road, Bakuani Diasivi and his partner sat next to a Polish family—the 11-year-old boy, his mother, and older sister. The aggression from the 26-year-old Congolese man was triggered by the fact that the family was speaking Polish and laughing, which the perpetrator perceived as an insult directed at him. After an exchange of vulgar remarks and a scuffle between the women, Diasivi punched the child in the face. Intervention from fellow passengers prevented further violence, and the perpetrator was apprehended by Gardaí at Lansdowne Road station. Judge Orla Crowe, despite the defendant admitting he acted in the heat of the moment and struck a defenseless teenager, decided on a suspended sentence. This decision is controversial, as Diasivi was on bail release at the time of the attack and was already serving another suspended sentence. Furthermore, Irish media report that the defendant had previously admitted involvement in a fatal knife attack in Dublin. The defense argued that the man is trying to change his life, which led the judicial panel to express belief in the justification for giving him a "final chance." Ireland's legal system is based on common law, where judges have broad discretion in sentencing, often emphasizing the rehabilitation of offenders, especially those who plead guilty at an early stage of proceedings. The convicted man currently lives in Balbriggan, a town north of Dublin. The 18-month prison sentence was fully suspended on condition that the convict maintains good behavior for the next two years. The victimized 11-year-old boy did not sustain permanent physical injuries, but the traumatic event has become a symbol of tensions along national lines in public transport in the Irish capital. „It is hard to understand how a situation could break out on a Dart in relation to people who were travelling into town, but it did and he got involved.” — Orla Crowe

Mentioned People

  • Bakuani Diasivi — 26-year-old Congolese citizen convicted for assaulting a child on a train.
  • Orla Crowe — Judge presiding over the case at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.