Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
My family are safer in park after attacks
Granny hits out at hate thugs
A GRANNY is appealing for peace following repeated attacks on her Belfast home.
Ana Covaci said her three grandchildren were living in fear following a series of late night incidents in which their windows were smashed and doors kicked in.
She added she was so worried about the welfare of the kids, who are aged two, seven and 10, that she thought it might be safer to take them to live in a park.
Ana arrived in Northern Ireland from Romania almost a year ago with three grandchildren and her daughter, who does not want to be identified for fear of reprisals. Economic migrants from the Roma Community, she said they fled “a difficult life” of poverty and prejudice in their homeland and were excited about a new start in Belfast.
Ana added: “I would prefer to sleep in a park with the children where we would feel safer, they can’t sleep here as the attacks are between 11pm and 4am.
“We have lost our jobs over it. We just want peace.”
“We came here for a better life. Everything was OK and we were happy.
“My daughter and I got jobs in a factory and we took it in turns to work and mind the children, but now we are afraid to be left alone with the children. Our windows have been smashed and doors kicked down many times. They have thrown paint at the house.they shout at us to get out. The children refuse to go to the park, they are so afraid we all sleep in one bed.”
Roma community worker Nicolae Nicola said the attacks were a sign of growing hostility towards Roma people in South Belfast in recent months.
He added: “Our community are not criminals but those are not the stories you hear.”