Dad's dream trip may leave him 'disabled for life' after brutal beating
One dad's lifelong dream of visiting Ireland turned into a trip straight out of a nightmare after he was attacked and beaten badly by a group of teens, who left him so injured that may be disabled for life.
Doctors say that Stephen Termini, 57, of Buffalo, remains in the hospital after he was jumped and brutally kicked and beaten by a group of violent juveniles after leaving his accommodation.
The repeated kicks and punches to his body and his chest have damaged at least one eye so badly, medical professionals fear he may lose it.
Stephen Termini, 57, of Buffalo went on his dream trip to Ireland and ended up getting badly beaten by a group of teens (Stephen Termini / Facebook)Termini’s son, Mike Rizzuto, told the New York Post that he was devastated to hear about the attack and that his father often talked about their Irish heritage, dreaming of taking this trip for many years.
“Last time I spoke to him, he was saving up every penny, doing odd jobs to get over to Ireland,” Rizzuto told RTE. “He was talking about playing music in Ireland. That’s where he wanted to be, so it really sucks what happened to him.”
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“My dad’s mother’s ashes were spread in Ireland in 2002, and he was unable to make it there at the time. His grandfather used to paint murals in Ireland,” Rizzuto said. “I’ve been raised with Irish heritage, which is very important to my dad.”
Temini himself is a musician that was looking forward to checking out Dublin's music scene after spending much of his time tracing his family lineage back to the town. His sister says that visiting Ireland became even more important to her brother after losing his wife last year to an illness.
“He had always dreamed of visiting Ireland. He was trying to trace our family that emigrated to the US from Dublin,” she wrote on the family’s GoFundMe (fundraising goal has been reached). His family set up the fundraiser to try and visit Stephen who is currently in Dublin’s Beaumont Hospital.
Meanwhile, Dublin police said they've arrested at least one of the youths associated with the attack and that he is set to appear in court next week.
A man who saved up every penny for a dream trip to Ireland found himself in a nightmare when he got there (Stephen Termini / Facebook)Minister for Justice Helen McEntee condemned the attack and called for more police in the area of Store Street station. She says that local business owners have also filed complaints about rampant crime in the same place where Temini was attacked. Though, she says that Dublin is 'safe' for tourists and locals alike.
“There is no excuse for violence on our streets and those responsible will be brought to justice,” McEntee tweeted. "I was briefed by Gardaí in Store Street today, and we also discussed how we are: 1) Recruiting more Gardaí, introducing tougher sentences, [and] giving Gardaí the tools to fight crime."
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