UNDERCOVER FEMALE GARDAÍ are to walk the streets of south Dublin in a bid to catch a repeat sex offender targeting women walking home from work.
The move comes after a woman in her 40s was attacked as she walked to her house in the Bayview area of Killiney, a short distance from Shankill dart station.
Officially, gardaí are saying that they are at the very early stages of their investigation.
But behind closed doors, they believe that Monday’s attacker was the same man who assaulted a number of women in the Shankill area last year.
Female gardaí are now being deployed to entice the would-be attacker into striking. According to one senior security source, a similar plan was rolled out last year when more attacks started to happen.
Gardaí in the area have interviewed the victim of this week’s attack and are now contemplating releasing a visual description of the man to the public.
However, there have been a number of objections to the methods gardaí are using. Last year, they employed a similar tactic and ended up apprehending a young man who was following the female garda and wolf-whistling at her. Her partner was following close behind and detained the man.
Attacks
Some female gardaí were stationed at positions last year where there was a high frequency of incidents.
Cathaoirleach of the Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Council Cormac Devlin said measures have already been implemented to make the Bayview area less prone to attacks.
Obviously, my thoughts go out to this woman and I sincerely hope she makes a full recovery. She should never have had to endure something like this.
“Since the incident happened on Monday, it has been established that the bushes will be cut back and more lighting will be placed around the Bayview estate which will hopefully act as a deterrent against attacks such as these,” Devlin told TheJournal.ie.
“This is the second serious incident in the Killiney area this year. I welcome the establishment of an incident room to investigate the attack. I would ask the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the gardaí. I have also asked garda management to step up patrols, particularly mountain bike patrols, around Killiney.”
Two weeks ago, a group of US tourists were attacked three kilometres from the Bayview estate as they walked to get an Aircoach.
Last year, a number of women were attacked near Shankill Dart Station in a short period of time, leading to protestors occupying the local garda station demanding that more be done to protect women.
The first known incident involving this suspected attacker occurred in December, 2015, when a woman was assaulted as she walked near Shankill Dart Station.
A month later in January 2016, a woman was attacked 300 metres from the Dart station at the entrance to the Holly Park estate. Two weeks later, two complaints of assault were made to the authorities. The incidents are alleged to have taken place on the Quinn’s Road just after Shankill village and on Military Road, which leads to Killiney Dart Station. This week’s attack occurred in between Shankill Dart Station and Military Road.
A garda spokeswoman this evening said they are urging anyone who was near Bayview on Monday evening and saw anything suspicious to come forward.
She said: “Gardaí are anxious to speak with any members of the public that were in the vicinity of Killiney Dart Station, Seafield Road, Killiney Hill Road, Military Road and Bayview anytime between 5pm and 6.30pm on the evening of Monday 3o January.
“They are also appealing to taxi drivers and any members of the public who were travelling by car in that vicinity and whose vehicle was fitted with a recordable dash camera system.”
Witnesses are asked to contact Dun Laoghaire Garda Station 01-6665000, the Garda Confidential Telephone line on 1 800 666 111 or any garda station.
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