Gardai probe early morning sex attack on woman walking in central Dublin

Officers later arrested a Romanian national over the attack

By: irishmirror.ie

Aug 19 2024
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Gardai probe early morning sex

Gardai are questioning a suspect after a woman suffered a brutal sex attack as she walked through central Dublin, it has emerged.

The woman, who is in her early 20s, was targeted as she walked along close to the Convention Centre in the city centre when she was attacked at around 6am on Monday.

Officers later arrested a Romanian national over the attack. Sources say she was followed by a man, who then lunged at her and dragged her into a park off Mayor Street. It’s understood he subjected her to a serious sexual assault there – and also tried to rape her.

We have established that she desperately tried to fight him off and her screams alerted two people who ran to her aid. One was a worker in a local shop and the other was a passerby. They both shouted at the attacker – and he fled the area.

They then called gardaí who rushed to the area and began searching for the attacker. It’s understood officers from Store Street station later arrested a suspect who was found in the area.

Store Street Garda station, Dublin (stock). Gardai from this station are investigating the attack. (Image: Google Maps)

That man, who is from Romania, was being questioned by detectives from Store Street station this evening. He can be detained for up to 24 hours. Sources have told the Irish Mirror that victim, who is also a foreign national, was badly traumatised after the attack,

She was taken to hospital for treatment. Gardaí confirmed that a man was arrested. A spokeswoman told us: “Gardaí are investigating an incident of alleged assault that occurred at Mayor Street Upper, Dublin 1 in the early hours of this morning Monday 19th August, 2024 at 6am approximately.

“One man, was later arrested in relation to this investigation and he is currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 at a Garda Station in Dublin City Centre.”

The attack comes just a few days after an Italian woman was beaten by a man who tried to sexually assault her in another part of north inner city Dublin at the weekend.

The victim was targeted as she visited the area to soak up the atmosphere around the AC/DC concert at Croke Park on Saturday evening. She got separated from her friends and was then approached by a man in the Ballybough area who propositioned her before beating her and trying to rape her.

Gardaí are hunting that attacker – whom they believe is Irish. They do not think the two incidents are linked, sources say.

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