A female tourist, fresh off the plane in Dublin, found herself in a nightmare scenario on a sunny Friday afternoon. Without warning, a man approached her on Dame Street and, in a cowardly gender-targeted attack, punched her in the face. The poor woman was left bruised, bleeding, and in shock as the assailant calmly strolled away from the scene. The incident took place at 11:30 am on May 23, leaving the victim fearing she may be scarred for life.
The alleged attacker, Kevin Kletzander, is a 33-year-old resident of a Dublin 8 hostel with a history of mental illness. Despite being described as showing no remorse for his actions, he was charged with assault causing harm to the woman. The seriousness of the case led to him being denied bail by Judge Catherine Ghent at Dublin District Court the following Saturday. Garda Niamh Dunne expressed her concerns for public safety, especially for any females who may encounter Mr. Kletzander in the future. The attack was deemed unprovoked, with the victim being defenseless against the sudden violence unleashed upon her.
The victim, unable to participate in planned tourist activities, suffered a deep laceration on her temple and severe bruising around her eye. Despite several witnesses being present, the attacker continued on his way without a care in the world. The assault was clearly targeted at the woman, leaving her physically and psychologically scarred. Mr. Kletzander later turned himself in at Pearse Street Garda station, where he remained polite and cooperative. While he initially showed no remorse during questioning, he did utter a brief “I’m sorry” upon being charged. The court proceedings revealed CCTV evidence of the attack, solidifying the case against the accused. Despite the defense highlighting Mr. Kletzander’s mental health struggles and regular medical appointments, the judge deemed him too much of a risk to be granted bail. Legal aid was provided, and the accused is set to appear in court again on May 29 pending directions from the DPP.
