IT worker who punched boy (8) in face says ‘I’m not a violent person, I’m a pacifist’

Kamil Naumczyk (40) escaped a custodial sentence this week when a court heard how he lashed out following a dispute between the child and his nine- and 11-year-old daughters.

Speaking with the Sunday Worldoutside his home in Ballybrack, Dublin, the IT worker said he was embarrassed and ashamed by his actions – before repeating his earlier claims: “I didn’t start this.

“I am really sorry about what happened,” he said.

“I over-reacted but I was upset for my daughters. I didn’t want this to happen the way it happened.

“I didn’t think at that moment, I didn’t think at all. And it’s not what I do.

“I am not a violent person, on the contrary, I am a pacifist.

“I am really sorry about how this ended up.”

Details of the assault were recalled when Naumczyk appeared before Dublin Circuit Criminal Court this week.

The court heard the father of two ran after a group of boys and followed them into a nearby back garden after his daughters told him the boys had been fighting with them.

The victim and another boy were standing on the threshold of a cabin in the garden when Naumczyk punched him in the face with a closed fist, causing the child to fall backwards.

The boy was brought back to his parents by the mother of his friend, and Naumczyk went with them.

He immediately admitted punching the child and said he was defending his daughters.

The child was later brought to accident and emergency in Tallaght Hospital but was then referred to a specialist.

He later underwent surgery to put a plate in his nose to stabilise it.

Garda Kerry Connor told Lisa Dempsey BL, prosecuting, that the child later told specialist gardai he had been out that day building a fort with some other kids on the local green.

Three young girls, about the same age, joined them but there was an altercation between the children after the boys decided “they had not been pulling their weight”.

The boys continued to build the fort and the girls left.

Naumczyk came out shortly afterwards, the boys ran off, and he followed the victim and assaulted him.

Naumczyk later said that the girls claimed they had been shot with a NERF gun and threatened with a shovel. They said one of the girls had also been kicked by the one of the boys.

A victim impact statement was handed into court but not read out.

Speaking with the Sunday World, Naumczyk continued: “I do want to say sorry to the boy and I would like to apologise for the situation.

“I also know it was wrong from me. It didn’t start from me.

“But I grossly over-reacted and I understand that.

“By doing this, by doing what I did, I closed the way for me to talk with the boys’ parents about their actions.

“Instead, I made him the victim and I shouldn’t have done that.

“I have shown my daughters the wrong way of handling things – I have been a bad example to them.

“And I am really sorry that I hit that boy and that he has suffered because of me.”

Asked if he had spoken with the boy’s parents since the day of the incident, Naumczyk told us he had not.

“The police said I shouldn’t talk to because there was a case ongoing,” he said.

“I wouldn’t go out of my way to do things against the law so I haven’t had any contact.”

Asked if had been worried ahead of Wednesday’s court sitting that he might be sent to prison, the father of two said he had been.

“I was very worried about that,” he said. “And I’m relieved because my family is a single income family and that would have put us in a very precarious position.

“So yes, I am really relieved and I will try my best to do the community service to the best of my abilities.

“I’m a law-abiding citizen, but I acted on emotions.”

“If I would have the occasion to apologise to the boy then I would – it’s the right thing to do and it’s a thing I should show my daughters, when you do the wrong thing you should own it.

After hearing Naumczyk’s guilty plea, Judge Martin Nolan adjourned the case overnight to consider it. Sentencing him on Wednesday, he said Naumczyk had “grossly over-reacted” to whatever his daughters had told him.

He noted that Naumczyk had immediately made admissions to the victim’s parents, expressed remorse and co-operated with gardai.

Judge Nolan also said Naumczyk had a long work history, family responsibilities and no previous convictions.

He ordered a report to assess Naumczyk’s suitability to carry out 240 hours of community service in lieu of an 18-month sentence, to be imposed on May 3.