White teens found guilty of shoving Asian woman into canal in Ireland

A pair of 16-year-old boys have been convicted of shoving a Chinese woman into a canal in a racist attack in Dublin two years ago.

By Edward Era Barbacena

NEXTSHARK: The incident, which was just one of four horrifying incidents involving teen boys that Xeudan “Shirley” Xiong had to endure on the same day, was caught in a viral video posted on TikTok.

Xiong, now 50, went out for a stroll along the Royal Canal on the evening of Aug. 14, 2020. She stopped at a small pier at the 15th lock between Castleknock and Ashtown when a boy on a bicycle suddenly rushed toward her.

A group of two or three boys then laughed, Xiong said. The group proceeded to Castleknock, while she continued toward Ashton.

Then, a second group approached her. One boy looked her in the eye and said, “Corona, coronavirus.”

Shortly after, Xiong encountered a third group of boys. One of them, who was riding a bicycle, continuously circled her while the rest chanted “Chinese noodles, fried noodles.”

At that point, Xiong called the boys out for racial discrimination. She tried to film the scene and chased them as they fled.

Xiong eventually caught up with the group, which now included some older teens. The group surrounded her, with one asking, “What did you do to my friends?”

“Next thing I remember, I was in the water,” said Xiong, who was pushed into the canal, according to TheJournal.ie. “The only thing I can remember is being in the water.”

Three passersby reportedly helped Xiong get out of the water. While she did not suffer any injuries, the attack left her shaken.

“I was so angry,” Xiong told RTÉ in the aftermath of the incident. “I don't know looking back if I was brave or stupid as there was 15 of them and they were bigger and stronger than me.”

Two boys involved in the physical attack were found guilty of assault this week. A third boy who filmed the incident saw his own assault charge dismissed.

Another pair of boys reportedly faced a Garda juvenile restorative justice program. Their specific roles in the series of attacks Xiong endured that day are unclear.

The pair of convicted teens remain held on bail. They will return to court next month for sentencing.