Gardaí are seeking a number of men who may have been involved in a sexual assault on a woman in Clondalkin, west Dublin, early yesterday morning.
The attack is understood to have occurred at about 3am in a parkland area of Newlands Cross in Clondalkin.
The woman had a bike with her when the incident took place. She was taken to hospital afterwards.
The scene was sealed off for forensic examination.
Information
Gardaí in Ronanstown have appealed for anyone who may have been in the area at about 3am, or who may have any information, to come forward.
Gardaí said no arrests have been made.
They added that any drivers who may have been in the area at about the time of the incident and who may have had a dashboard camera in their vehicle might consider reviewing the footage to see if they spot anything suspicious.
A resident of the area, who did not want to be named, said of the assault that “people are disgusted, anyone would be, we all have daughters and sons”.
The resident said the locality had a high crime rate but “you don’t see the gardaí around here much, they haven’t got the resources probably”.
Local People Before Profit councillor Madeleine Johansson said the fact that the rape was alleged to have involved strangers and more than one person, in an open space makes it “particularly frightening and leaves the community feeling vulnerable”.
Awful
Noeline Blackwell, chief executive of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, while stressing the investigation was at an early stage, said initial reports suggested it was a “spectacularly awful incident”.
She said it was important to report assaults such as this one because rape tended to be under-reported in Ireland.
Ms Blackwell added that a case of a woman being attacked and raped by a stranger or strangers was the typical image that people have about sexual assault but usually rape victims were much more likely to know their attackers.
She said anyone affected should call the Rape Crisis national 24-hour helpline on 1800 77 88 88.
