Terror of girl (7) who spotted bomb package under her parents' car
A seven-year-old Dublin schoolgirl has been left badly traumatised after finding a 'bomb' under her parents' car.
The youngster discovered the device, which later turned out to be a hoax, packed into a lunchbox.
Her parents, Liam and Elaine Rowley, have told the Herald they now fear for their family's safety.
Mum Elaine (41) said: "It's a horrendous, traumatic and horrific experience for anyone to go through, and I'm worried about the psychological effects it has had on them.
"We've been trying to give them things to do around the house to take their minds off it."
All residents in the Parc na Cuileann estate in Ballymun were evacuated from their homes when the gardai and Defence Forces arrived to investigate the bomb around 10am on Sunday morning.
"It's not just us. The whole estate has been affected. Everyone was put out in the cold for three hours, and everyone was taken out of their beds, so it's had a ripple effect."
The couple's three children, who are aged between seven and 16, are worried that the culprits will strike again.
Horrific
"They won't sleep on their own, and if that continues until the end of the week, then I'll see about getting help for them."
"The fear factor is horrific. People need to be aware that this is a new level of kicks that they're [the culprits] getting."
Elaine and Liam's daughter found the hoax bomb "sealed up with silver tape" in a lunch box, and placed underneath their car at around 9am on Sunday morning.
The couple can't understand why the hoax was carried out.
"There isn't anyone who we've any grievances with, and there no reason we can think of anyway," said Liam.
"We've been racking our brains to try and think why it happened. We're not involved with anyone, or in trouble with no one."
A Defence Forces spokesman said a team examined the device and "they found it to be a hoax."
The garda said no arrests have been made and investigations are continuing.
hnews@herald.ie
- Charlie Mallon and Geraldine Gittens
