GARDAÍ HAVE ISSUED an appeal over an alleged assault of a woman in the Finglas area of Dublin in the early hours of Friday, after what a spokesperson described as “a significant volume of misinformation and disinformation in circulation” regarding the investigation. 

It comes in the wake of erroneous claims made by right-wing groups that a migrant was involved in carrying out the assault. 

In the appeal, issued this afternoon, gardaí said the incident happened near Cappagh Road during the early hours of last Friday morning, 27 January.

“Investigating gardaí are looking to speak to a taxi driver who picked up a fare from a white man and white woman at around 1.30am on that particular morning,” the statement said. 

“Both passengers were driven from a location in Dublin’s south inner city and taken to Cappagh Road in Finglas, Dublin 11.

“The taxi is believed to have travelled to Finglas via the industrial estate in Ballycoolin.

“The passengers in the vehicle are described as being a white woman, aged in her 20s and a white man, also aged in his 20s.

“The woman had blonde hair and was wearing high boots, a pink blazer and a black jacket.

“The man was of average height and build and was wearing a red top with blue jeans.

“The taxi driver or anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to come forward and contact Finglas Garda Station on 01 6667500, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station.”

No arrests have been made and investigations are ongoing, the statement added. 

It concluded: “An Garda Síochána is aware of a significant volume of misinformation and disinformation in circulation with regards to this ongoing investigation.

“For clarity, gardaí are following a definite line of enquiry and are not looking for anyone else at this time.”

It’s understood that officers are seeking to speak to the taxi driver as a witness. 

The claim that migrants had been involved in an assault in Dublin in recent days was reportedly made by a group of men who staged an attack on a homeless camp in the Ashtown area of Dublin 15 on Saturday. 

The Irish Times reported from the scene of the attack, which happened on the banks of the Tolka. The paper reported that the men – who had dogs and were armed with a baseball bat – alleged the residents of the camp, all migrants, had been involved in an assault locally. 

Speaking this morning Integration Minister Roderic O’Gorman told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland in a reference to the Ashtown incident: “We’ve seen migrants attacked again as a result of an untrue, online rumour.”

Former Socialist TD Ruth Coppinger, who organised an anti-racism demonstration in the Dublin suburb on Monday said in recent days that “a pathetic attempt at justification for the attack [at Ashtown] was that the men had been involved in a sexual assault”.