An international student at St Mary's University College is recovering in hospital after an incident last night at Glenmachan Street, when a stone was thrown through the window of a taxi she was travelling in and hit her.
The College Principal, Professor Peter Finn condemned the stoning incident.
"The stone attack on the taxi was random and mindless. It was the act of thugs. As a result of it an Erasmus student from Germany is traumatised and badly hurt. The College is providing her with pastoral support and we are in contact with her home university and her parents in Germany.
Students and staff at St Mary's are disturbed by the attack, which is the first incident of its kind we are aware of relating to international students since the College became involved in the Erasmus programme in 1994. Since then over eight hundred international students have attended the College and enjoyed their study period in Belfast. In the case of this particular student however, the stone attack and the injuries she has sustained are a horrible and totally unacceptable experience and she will be returning home to Germany."