THE FATHER OF a teenage boy targeted by a group of youths who made him expose himself and forced twigs down his throat, has hit out at his son’s attackers.

Speaking to Newstalk yesterday, Liam said he first heard of the incident in Carrigaline, Co Cork, when a young girl he never met before called at the door and told him about the video of the assault on Facebook.

“I was just really shocked, I mean disbelief is the word that comes to mind really.”

He said his son is unable to read social situations and this makes him particularly vulnerable to these kinds of bullies.

“He’s an easy target, where another child might see trouble coming, he’s just not able to see it coming. He wouldn’t have known that was about to happen.”

People have called him names in past, laughed at him and stuff and he’s quote oblivious to that. When I’ve been told about the incident, I was told that he was bawling crying so I think he was aware that he didn’t like this.

Liam’s son has been away on a trip for the last number of days and so he said he has not been able to speak to him about it yet. Becoming emotional during the interview, the man said he just wants to give his son a big hug.

I want to protect him even more than ever now.

He said he does not understand what the teens involved could have been thinking.

“In whose world is that entertainment?” he asked. “What’s the matter with you?”

“How would you feel if somebody done that to you? How would you feel if somebody did that to your brother or sister. Can you even begin to comprehend the effect that you’ve not just had on him but on the whole family?”

The boy’s father said he has been to gardaí to report the incident.

Read: Cork teens force autistic boy to expose himself and eat twigs>