Teenage girl assaulted in Galway Retail Park

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Written by Administrator

Wednesday, 21 February 2007

Gardaí in Galway are appealing for witnesses to a second serious sexual assault in the city in less than a month.

Statistics released in January showed that Galway had one of the highest incidences of rape in the country

A 16-year old girl was walking through the Galway Retail Park between 9.30pm and 10.30pm last Friday, 16 February when she was assaulted at the rear of one of the buildings. Gardaí are appealing for any witnesses to come forward who may have been in the area during this time and assist them with their investigation.

Just two weeks previously, on Sunday 4 February a woman was sexually assaulted in the Green area of College Road. She was attacked in her house in the early hours. There have been no arrests made in connection with this attack, despite numerous appeals made by the Gardaí to the public.

Statistics released in January showed that Galway had one of the highest incidences of rape in the country along with Dublin, Cork and Waterford. Over the Christmas period, two cases of rape were reported to the Galway Rape Crisis Centre. In 2006, 38 per cent of calls to the Galway Rape Crisis Centre were from women between the ages of 17 to 29 and 52 per cent of the calls made from that age group were reporting either a rape or a serious sexual assault.

A spokesperson said that the majority of cases reported to them seem to occur when there is alcohol involved and that women should remain vigilant when on a night out with their friends.

“It’s important for women to trust their instincts and to take precautions when they do go out, small things like not letting any friends go home alone, making sure they have emergency cab fare, never leave a drink unattended and carry a personal alarm if they are walking home alone,” she said.

If you have any information on last Friday’s attack, contact Mill Street Garda Station on 091-53800.

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