Gardai investigate two unrelated sexual attacks on female teenagers in the Springfield area
By Mary Dennehy
GARDAÍ are investigating two unrelated sexual attacks on female teenagers in the Springfield area of Tallaght on Monday, which both happened within an hour of each other.
The first alleged sexual assault, which involved a juvenile teenage girl, happened between 4pm and 5pm in a green space close to the Ashgrove apartments, and opposite St Mark’s GAA Club, on the Cookstown Road.
Gardaí sealed off the general area on Monday evening and preserved the scene overnight – with investigating officers identifying a location on Tuesday which was forensically examined.
A Garda source told The Echo: “Gardaí are following a number of lines of enquiry in relation to this alleged sexual crime and a number of people have contacted the station with information.
“A special child interviewer has been assigned to the girl in question and that process is ongoing.
“No arrests have yet been made.”
The Echo has learned that a second sexually motivated attack was reported to Tallaght Garda Station on Monday evening, which saw two sisters in their late teens targeted by a group of young males as they walked through Maplewood, also in Springfield, at around 5.30pm.
The mother of the two sisters, who wishes to remain unnamed, told The Echo: “My daughters were walking back from the shops down Maplewood Way when a group of six lads grabbed them and tried to get them to the ground.
“They tried to hold my daughters’ hands down by their sides and were groping them and putting their hands down their tops.
“They also exposed themselves to my daughters.”
She added: “My daughters put up a struggle and managed to get away, one of them broke the heel of her boot in the process.
“They both feel that if they were younger or had not been strong enough to get away that this attack could have went a lot further.
“I contacted The Echo to raise awareness among parents and advise them to keep their kids close.
“Also, if people see anything suspicious they should ring the Garda station or if they hear a scream don’t ignore it.
“My daughters have been left terribly shook up and in shock, but thank God they were able to fight this group off.”
Gardaí confirmed the second report, and a senior source told The Echo: “We did receive a second allegation of a sexual assault in the Springfield area on Monday at around 5.30pm.
“After initial investigations we have no reason to suspect that these two allegations are linked and we are satisfied that they are not connected.
“Investigations into this allegation are ongoing and we are currently going through CCTV in the area, from both public and private cameras to build a picture.”
Anybody with information on either alleged assault or was in the vicinity on Monday, January 25, is encouraged to contact Tallaght Garda Station on 6666000.
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