The mother of a 12-year-old boy who was attacked by a gang in Londonderry on Saturday has said he is now afraid to go into the city centre on his own.
Una McFarland said her son, Caelin, was attacked by up to 12 males on London Street at about 1630 BST on Saturday.
She said it was the first time her son had gone into the city centre alone.
"They grabbed him by the necklace and they punched him about the head and neck and he fell to the ground," his mother said.
"He got up pretty quickly because he knew to stay on his feet and then he tried to walk away.
"They kept saying to him, 'Who do you support, who do you support'?"
"I know I wouldn't like him going up the town now," she said.
In a separate incident on Saturday, a 14-year-old boy was assaulted by a gang of youths in Irish Street. Two 15-year-olds have been arrested.
And in the Triangle area of the Waterside a man was attacked by three men wearing Celtic football jerseys.
The PSNI have said the attacks may have been sectarian.
DUP MLA William Hay said sectarianism was "a cancer in society".
"These attacks are ongoing and it could take a generation before we get this cancer out of our society, and this is the tragedy.
"There are people out there who still believe that the only way they can deal with some of the issues they feel so strongly about is to attack another community," he said.
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