Thursday October 16, 2025
Vadym Davydenko was stabbed to death at an emergency residential unit in Donaghmede.CREDIT / RTE
LONDON, United Kingdom — Irish authorities are monitoring a Somali teenager recovering in hospital after a fatal stabbing that left a 17-year-old Ukrainian asylum seeker dead at a Tusla-operated residential care unit for unaccompanied minors in north Dublin.
Gardaí said the incident occurred late Wednesday morning at the Grattan Wood apartment complex in Donaghmede, where four separated minors seeking international protection were being cared for on a 24-hour basis.
Emergency responders found a severely injured male teenager at the scene, who was pronounced dead despite paramedics’ efforts. He was later identified as Vadym Davydenko, a Ukrainian national who had arrived in Ireland only days earlier.
A second teenager, a Somali youth under 18, was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening hand injuries sustained during the confrontation and is under Garda supervision as detectives prepare to interview him with the assistance of an interpreter.
A Tusla spokesperson confirmed “a serious incident took place at one of our emergency residential units,” adding that the agency was cooperating fully with Garda investigators. “Our immediate priority is the safety and wellbeing of the other young people and staff at this unit,” the statement said.
The Ukrainian Embassy in Dublin said it was assisting Davydenko’s family and making arrangements for the repatriation of his body. “We express our deepest condolences to Vadym’s family and loved ones during this time of profound grief,” the embassy said, noting it was in close contact with Irish authorities.
Police said a female staff member was treated for minor injuries after attempting to intervene. Gardaí have ruled out any further threat to the public and confirmed that no other suspects are being sought. A post-mortem examination is underway, and the results will guide the next stage of the investigation.
Ireland’s Minister for Children and the Taoiseach both expressed their condolences, calling the incident a “shocking and tragic event” within the state’s child protection system.
Tusla’s emergency residential units accommodate separated minors under the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS), including unaccompanied Somali and Ukrainian youths fleeing conflict or insecurity.