A young woman was seriously sexually assaulted by three men after she was taken by force from O'Connell Street in Dublin city centre as passers-by ignored her shouts for help.
She was forced into an apartment block on nearby Parnell Street where three men seriously sexually assaulted her in the stairwell.
One person who witnessed the on-street abduction on O'Connell Street between 2am and 3am last Saturday made a call to gardaí to alert them. However, a large number of people in the area at the time ignored the victim's shouts for help as she was forced along the pavement by one of the attackers.
By the time gardaí arrived at the location identified by the caller, the man had forced the victim to walk up Parnell Street in the direction of Capel Street. He forced her into the Kings Court apartment complex on Parnell Street where the attack took place. The woman, in her early 20s, had left her friends just after 2am and began making her way home. She briefly engaged one of her attackers in conversation on the junction of O'Connell Street and Parnell Street. He walked with her across O'Connell Street to the AIB Bank.
He then forced her up Parnell Street and into the apartment block where he and two accomplices sexually assaulted her. Gardaí have confirmed that the victim called out to a number of people in the area at the time, none of whom went to her assistance. Garda sources said the victim was taken to hospital after the attack.
She has since been discharged and it is believed she will make a full physical recovery. However, she has been left deeply traumatised.
Gardaí want anybody who was on O'Connell Street or Parnell Street between 2am and 3am on Saturday, November 4th, to contact them at Store Street Garda station 01-666 8000 or on the confidential line on 1800-666 111.
