'We don't want any retaliation'

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As stabbing victim Toyosi Shitta-bey was laid to rest last week, emotions ran high with a distinct sense of anger among the ethnic community at his violent death, writes Ali Bracken, Crime Correspondent. Photographs by Mark Condren

Toyosi's body is placed in the grave at the Rathcoole Muslim burial ground in Newcastle cemetery

Segun Shitta-bey grieves for his son

Toyosi Shitta-bey

Mourners at the burial

Toyosi's mother is comforted at her home

A picture of Toyosi with a friend amongst his soccer trophies

Toyosi's elder brother Sudeek is comforted by a friend

Toyosi's Shelbourne FC jersey is thrown into his grave

Friends of Toyosi's wait for his body to leave the funeral home in Lucan

On the last day of his short life, Bola Shitta-bey felt an inexplicable urge to keep her teenage son at home. Fifteen-year-old Toyosi helped get breakfast ready for his younger brothers and sisters. Then he did the dishes and cleaned the bathroom. Toyosi wanted to go out; his friends were calling him on his phone all day. But Bola wanted to keep him around, she wanted her son close. At the time, she didn't know why. Now she does.

Since Toyosi Shitta-bey was stabbed to death on Good Friday, the family home in Tyrellstown has had a steady stream of visitors. "There is anger over what has happened, from black and white people. Everyone in Ireland is not happy about what happened to my son," his father Segun Shitta-bey told the Sunday Tribune last Thursday, the day his son was buried in a Muslim ceremony.

"Ireland is not a racist county. There is some racism everywhere in the world. So many people – black and white – have come to see us since this happened to show us support. We don't want any retaliation, nothing like that. Toyosi was a peaceful person. Yes, some of his friends are angry. They are only boys. They are innocent. There will be no trouble. We just want justice in the courts. And we never, ever want anything like this to happen again."

The outpouring of support from the community has kept the Shitta-bey family going during the most difficult week of their lives. They have been surrounded by a close-knit circle of friends and relatives in their home since Toyosi lost his life.

It will be the next few weeks the family may find even harder still, when they are left alone with their grief. "I want to thank everyone for how kind they have been. Most of all I want to thank the police. Sergeant Vincent Connolly [the family liaison officer] has helped us so much," Segun continues. "We are still in a lot of pain. We are still in shock." So, too, are friends of the talented young footballer. Groups of teenagers, black and white, stand around in small groups inside the family home and outside on the street in Mount Eustace in Tyrellstown. Some talk quietly among themselves. Others look as if they can no longer find the words to express their grief.

"Everyone is angry," says 18-year-old Bernard Jose, originally from Angola. "I have experienced racism. Not every day and just the usual stuff, calling you names. But most Irish people I know aren't racist." Sixteen-year-old Gianny Koila, who played soccer with Toyosi at Shelbourne football club, agrees. "Of course there is racism and people say horrible things sometimes. But I don't think there is going to be any trouble now. Everyone just wants justice."

Emotions are running high among some of Toyosi's friends. On the day their friend is buried, their anguish has become acute. Every feeling is intensified. "Even in school there is racism. It is not gone. It's getting worse," says 17-year-old Christelle Nzale, who's originally from the Congo and has been living in Tallaght since she was 11. She is part of a group of young women leaving Newcastle cemetery after a moving and charged Islamic ceremony and burial.

Neither of Toyosi's parents attended the burial. It is traditional within some ethnic groups in Nigeria for parents not to attend the funeral of their child. It stems from the belief that parents should never have to bury their children – it is supposed to be the other way around.

"When a white man goes to a black man's country, he is treated like a king. We are treated like animals. But we have hearts and minds," continues Christelle. "I've been called a monkey on the bus. I've been told to go back to my own country. What should we do? Ignore them? You could still get stabbed."

The wheels of justice are already in motion. Two brothers were charged in relation to the fatal stabbing of the 15-year-old. On Monday, Paul Barry (38), from Dublin's Pearse Street, was charged with the teenager's manslaughter. His brother Michael Barry (23), Pigeon House Road, in Ringsend in Dublin, was charged with possession of a hockey stick. Both men have since been granted bail.

Behind-the-scenes garda work within the community has also been relentless since Toyosi's death. After a ceremony held at the spot where he died on Sunday night, for some friends of the dead teenager, grief gave way to anger. A small group of teenagers broke away from the hundreds assembled to charge after a car they associated with the attack. Windows were smashed. Gardaí have been working with African community leaders trying to maintain calm in the community. "Following any tragic incident in any community, there is going to be tension and a sense of fear in the community and a lot of emotion," Supt Dave Dowling, who is leading the investigation into the killing at Blanchardstown station, told the Sunday Tribune. "But along with community leaders, An Garda Síochána is working to help everyone through this difficult time. No one wants to cause divisions within the community in Toyosi's memory."

Community policing has been a priority in the area for several years. Two weeks before his death, the 15-year-old took part in a football tournament with over 100 other youngsters in the Dublin 15 area.

It was arranged by Blanchardstown Youth Service and local gardaí were also involved. Toyosi won the 'Player of the Tournament' award. Local gardaí, who acted as referees, found him to be the most outstanding player out of all the teenagers who took part. All of Toyosi's friends and family have praised gardaí for how sensitively and compassionately they have handled the situation since the tragedy took place.

Tyrellstown is one of the most racially diverse areas in Ireland. "Dublin 15 is a cultural hub. It is about 30% African, 20% Asian and also has a very high eastern European population," says Adeola Ogunsina, a Nigerian man who stood, but did not win a seat in the local elections last year as a Fine Gael candidate in Mulhuddart.

"Up until now, there has been perfect harmony in the area. There are some misconceptions. I was well received when I was contesting the elections but there were some tensions, particularly in deprived areas. I hope that out of this unfortunate incident, we can have more equality and fairness between the different nationalities."

Ogunsina and many other African leaders have been reaching out to help the youngsters in Toyosi's area since the incident on Good Friday. "They will need counselling. It is human nature to express anger. It is up to us as community leaders to explain the situation, the gardaí have been very involved too. We want the youth to grow whereby their talent and abilities precedes the colour of their skin."

Ogunsina does not believe there should be major concern about the possible ghettoisation of immigrant communities in Ireland. West Dublin has a far higher proportion of Africans than south Dublin for example. The Blanchardstown area has the fastest growing population in the country, but more significantly, 22% of its population, or double the national average, are non-Irish nationals. "People come where the houses are and there has been massive housing development in Dublin 15. It is also affordable out here. Foreigners are not going to move to Ballsbridge," adds Ogunsina. "When some African people started to move in here, others soon followed. It happens the world over."

Could some areas turn into deprived immigrant ghettos, as has happened in France and the UK? "I don't think it will happen. The demographic is highly educated, that will prevent a ghettoised situation. I have experienced racism but I am not going to live my life saying such a thing happened to me because I'm black. Hopefully it will be a free and fair society for everyone eventually."

It isn't just in west Dublin that immigrant communities are becoming concentrated. Part of a housing estate in Athlone, Thornbury Drive in Willow Park, has been christened 'Little Lagos' because of its African population. And this development is by no means unique. All around the country, large groups of immigrants are forging communities. There are large groupings of Burmese in Castlebar, Kurds in Mullingar, Brazilians in Gort and Kenyans in Dundalk. They are living together both by choice and necessity.

In the immediate aftermath of Toyosi's death, the community in Tyrellstown was filled with a sense of unrestrained grief tinged with anger. Locals were united in outrage.

But by Thursday, divisions began to become visible. At the 15-year-old's funeral, Imam Shehu Adeniji told mourners that yesterday's planned demonstration was ill-advised.

"No amount of protest, no demonstration will bring back this boy's soul. Your good mind is what he needs – not fighting, not crying," he told mourners. "Demonstration is uncalled for. We do not approve of it. It is creating social unrest... It can instigate problems with teenagers and we are worried about where it might lead."

Relatives, family friends and a local African pastor in Blanchardstown organised the rally.

The Socialist Party is also involved and issued press releases about the event. Socialist MEP Joe Higgins reacted angrily to suggestions that the rally would be anything other than a peaceful protest.

"I think his [Imam Shehu Adeniji] comments were disgraceful. That's outrageous. It shows that some people are out of touch with the community," he told the Sunday Tribune. "It is a peaceful rally. I am unhappy some fears are being created."

He dismissed the notion that some people might show up at the rally to cause problems or antagonise those taking part with racist remarks. "No, I have no such fears. To do something like that, people would have to feel like there is support for those type of attitudes. There is not."

Toyosi's family has backed the rally. His cousin Abiosye Shitta-bey is on the organising committee as is pastor Dare Adetuberu, from the Redeemed Christian Church of God based in the area. He is also a close family friend.

"You can still sense the tension here," he says. "The anger can be difficult to contain, particularly among teenagers of this age group. Subsequently it will heal. We are trying to talk to them at the moment. We want to unite them. Give them a chance to express themselves."

While Irish society will move on from the killing of Toyosi Shitta-bey when another death captivates the public's imagination in a few weeks' time, the community in Tyrellstown will never forget.

"His mother's hopes and dreams have been taken away," says friend and neighbour Marian Salami, whose brother Korede was a close friend of the dead teenager. "It shouldn't take a 15-year-old boy to die for people to finally accept there is racism in Ireland."

April 11, 2010

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