The Five Demands

Girl, two, hurt in sectarian attack (UTV)
The father of a two year-old girl who was injured when up to eight masked men burst into his home in east Belfast, has said he thought he was going to be killed.
Chris Smallwood, 25, was in his house at Derwent Street when a gang of masked men, armed with hammers, burst into his home just after 8pm on Monday.
The toddler suffered an arm injury during the incident after she was cut with shattered glass.
“She was screaming her eyes out,” Mr Smallwood told UTV.
“One of the men told me I had 24 hours to leave.
“This has happened to me before because I am going out with a Catholic. I was told to get out of Highfield a few years ago and I moved to east Belfast for a new start.”
Claire Smallwood, who is the toddler’s aunt, described the extent of the child’s injuries.
“She has cuts on her arm and glass in her hair,” she said.
“She just kept on saying: ‘The bad men broke my daddy’s house.'”
Belfast Lord Mayor Niall Ó Donnghaile said over 15 men were involved in the incident.
“Firstly I want to condemn the thugs who are responsible for such a vicious attack on a young family in their own home,” the Sinn Féin councillor for Pottinger said.
“Having been in contact with the PSNI this morning it is becoming clear that the sole motivation for this attack was sectarianism.
“Over 15 masked men attacked this young family in their own home, injuring a young child. My thoughts are with the family who have indicated they will not return to the house.”
The attack has also been condemned as “absolutely appalling” by local MLA Chris Lyttle.
“The whole community is in shock that a young child was injured during this incident,” the Alliance representative said.
“The fact that the police are treating this attack as sectarian is also extremely disturbing.
“My thoughts are with the girl that was injured and I hope that she makes a swift recovery.”
South Belfast MP Alasdair McDonnell said: “I condemn this vicious attack and believe that such attacks have no place in society.
“All children have the right to safety within their own home and community.”
Police say they are treating the incident as sectarian and have appealed for anyone with information to come forward.

Related articles

• Child injured in sectarian attack (bbc.co.uk)
• Toddler injured in attack in East Belfast (politics.ie)