Romanians Flee N Ireland After Attacks

Following a series of attacks in Belfast, Northern Ireland, more than 100 Romanian Roma have decided to return home, fearing for their safety.

Northern Ireland's social development minister, Margaret Ritchie, told media that 25 Romanians had already left, while another 75 were making plans to leave soon, with only 14 of those attacked opting to stay put.

A spokesman for the Northern Ireland Council for Ethnic Minorities said it was likely the remaining families would leave before the end of the week, according to the BBC.

Last week, the world's attention was leveled on a series of attacks against some 20 Roma families from Romania, when Belfast gangs attacked their residences with bottles and rocks, driving them from their homes.

Violence flared when more than 30 youths gathered outside the homes of the Roma families last Sunday, yelling racist slogans and smashing their windows.

On Tuesday,the Belfast church that provided shelter for the families - 115 people in all, including 49 children - after they fled their homes had its windows broken in an overnight attack, the Daily Mail reported. The immigrants have since been re-housed in an undisclosed location.

On Monday, a Belfast court heard the cases of two teenagers – aged 15 and 16 – charged for their role in disturbances during an anti-racism march held last week. One of the teenagers is also charged with involvement in the attacks on the Romanian families. Both were released on bail.

Slogans chanted by the attackers reportedly were linked to the far-right group Combat 18.

Another man, 21-year-old Shaun Murphy, has also been detained on charges of intimidating Romanians. Murphy has denied the charges, according to the BBC. He was refused bail.

Officials told news agencies that Northern Ireland's Housing Executive was paying for the families to return to Romania using emergency funds.