Man wrongly linked to Parnell Street stabbing sues online news site

Gript published apology saying it was misled by source

AN ALGERIAN man who claims he was wrongly linked to the Parnell Square stabbing attack, in which three children and a creche worker were injured outside a Dublin school, is suing for defamation.

Court records show Abdelhafid Bensaada has begun a legal action against online news publication Gript.ie and its editor, John McGuirk.

He has instituted proceedings in the High Court by issuing a plenary summons, and is represented by Regan McEntee & Partners Solicitors of Trim, Co. Meath.

On November 28, Gript published an article on its news site in which it did not name a man, but outlined background details about a person it said was suspected of the stabbing attack at Parnell Square five days before.

Those details included court records and his immigration and asylum history.

Although he was not named by Gript, Mr Bensaada is then said to have been identified on social media by other people, who were unrelated to the website.

In a statement that did not name Gript, the Garda Press Office said at the time that an article published online was ‘highly inaccurate’, saying: ‘The individual referenced in the article is not a person of interest in the investigation into the knife attack of last Thursday. An Garda Síochána has contacted the online news outlet and the outlet has agreed to remove the article.

‘An Garda Síochána is aware of some social media posts resulting from the article that purport to identify the individual and has put in place measures to ensure the safety of the individual.’

It was reported that the man was placed under Garda protection after he was warned of a potential threat to his life.

On November 29, Gript Media Ltd published a correction on its site, in place of the original article, in which it claimed it had been misled by a source as to the identity of the potential attacker.

It confirmed it had not named the man in the article, adding that it had a policy not to name individuals before criminal charges are brought. It also said it was investigating the source of its information.

Riad Bouchaker has since been charged in court in relation to the November 23 stabbing at Parnell Square. The 50-year-old, of no fixed abode, appeared in Dublin District Court, on December 21, charged with the attempted murder of three children and with assault causing serious harm of a care worker during the incident.

Mr Bouchaker was further charged with three counts of assault causing harm as well as the possession or production of a 36cm kitchen knife.

A five-year-old girl was left fighting for her life after the incident. She had been reported to be out of danger a month ago, but last week she was readmitted to intensive care.

Two other children were released from hospital. Crèche worker Leanne Flynn Keogh, from Dublin, was also seriously injured during the incident outside Choláiste Mhuire.

Detective Sergeant Pádraig Cleary told the district court that the accused made ‘no reply’ when charged with ‘attempted murder of a female child’.

Mr Bouchaker’s reply to a second charge for attempted murder of a second female child was: ‘I am a sick person.’

The court also heard Mr Bouchaker had no response when charged with attempted murder of a male child. He had no response when charged with assault causing harm to another male child and a girl, nor when he was charged with causing serious harm to a care worker.

The incident sparked a wave of unrest in the city, which led to riots, looting and vehicles being set on fire. More than 40 people were arrested after the riots, most of whom have since been charged and are before the courts.

Among the heroes on the scene who helped the victims of the knife attack was Caio Benicio, 43, who has since returned to his native Brazil.

Neither Gript nor Mr Bensaada’s solicitors had made any public statement as the Irish Daily Mail went to press last night.

‘Article online was highly inaccurate’

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