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AN APPEAL HAS been issued for witnesses following a sexual assault in Tallaght in south Dublin over the weekend.
The sexual assault happened in the early hours of Sunday morning with the injured woman currently receiving treatment in Tallaght Hospital.
The woman was assaulted as she was walking along Cookstown Road in Tallaght between 4.30am and 5.30am on Sunday morning.
Anyone who was in the vicinity of Cookstown Road between the hours of 3am and 7am on Sunday morning and noticed any unusual or suspicious activity has been asked to contact gardaí in Tallaght.
Gardaí believe people may have been driving or walking in the area as they made their way home from a night out on Saturday.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Gardaí in Tallaght on 01 666 6000, the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station.
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Of course in the ideal world we should be free to walk where we like when we like. But in reality we have to take precautions & no one is saying its the women’s fault. Women should know its not safe to be out alone at that time of night. She may not have had a choice – perhaps it was unplanned or she had no money for a taxi. Hope she recovers quickly & that they get the culprit !!
” Women should know its not safe to be out alone at that time of night.”
That’s ridiculous
Firstly; Women are LESS likely to be assaulted than men. So should ANYONE be out alone??
Secondly; Do you really expect half of the population to cower away in private because of a miniscule amount of sexual psychopaths out there?
Why was a lone woman walking at that time of the morning on a deserted road?!
I mean get a taxi. Problem is women don’t like to think they are vulnerable. Hope they catch the b…tard
u can be just a venerable in a taxi on your own as walking the streets don’t matter where u are or who your with Shit happens its not the woman’s fault
that’s a wrong question. you should ask what such a bastard is doing on the streets when clearly he should be locked to rot in a cave.
self defence classes should be mandatory in secondary schools here i think as part of the curiculum.too many psychos running around out there attacking people.some of the women in my krav maga classes would not be an easy target for predators.
Actually, self defence is NOT a cure all. I did a basic self defence course, but a couple years ago, a man grabbed me at the Luas station at the Point. I was so scared that everything I had learned just went out of my head and all I could do was stand there frozen.
The only person to blame is the person who did it.
what kind of a stupid comment is that FFS? she should have been able to walk home without being sexually assaulted!! cop on!
Thats a terrible attitude to take to a poor woman who has suffered a lot already without people casting blame on her decisions and actions. Whats to say that a taxi driver could not be a rapist?there Why place the blame on the victim? the blame lies squarely with the twisted individual who carried out the attack.
@nick your right nick it isnt a cure all but it certainly helps.if your not keeping up a bit of training then it can very easily be forgotten.a lot of it is brain training.you would be surprised if you trained again how quickly things you learned before will come back to you.the best self defence is to avoid or try to minimize certain situations but we know thats not always possible.
Lisa you do realise that a huge number of rapes and sexual assualts, particularly in minors, come from someone known to the family/a family member? By your logic, she shouldn’t have been walked home at all, in case they decided to rape her.
Self-defence is useless when someone has the element of surprise and outweighs you by four or five stone.It’s not the victim’s fault because everyone is vulnerable at virtually all times. If some deviant wants to attack strangers there’s not much anyone can do.
But it’d be great if we could invest in cameras (in public only!) to catch them and prisons to keep them in
@chuck cameras & prisons are no good to the victim who could potentially be killed in an attack.the fact is if your trained in self defence you have a better chance of survival than someone who isnt.
Graham, self-defence isn’t going to make small, light women into ninjas. These kind of crimes can never be stopped, but a well-resourced justice system can prevent at least some of them, since instances of recidivism are quite high. Have a think about what I’m referring to, since I can’t say it out loud
chuck plenty of small & light women can defend themselves if trained properly.i have seen it myself.a swift kick to the groin will drop any man no matter how big.thats enough time for her to run away.
Graham, you’re absolutely ignoring the psychology of the situation. Unless you’re devoting hours a day to it, it’s fully possible that you’ll freeze (a natural human reaction). And as many posters have said, how much should fear have to police your life?
thats exactly it nick.people freeze when something like that happens.thats what you learn in self defence.you learn the psychology of attacks so you are more mentally & physically prepared for such things.i agree that noone should have live their life in fear.but this is the real world & there are bad people out there.
i had to walk home from nitelink because i couldnt get a taxi despiteringing every taxi company i knew, took me an hour and 40 mins because i had to alternate between heels and barefoot and involved me walking down dual carraigeway, was terrified but it was either that or sleep in a ditch. was i asking to be raped? thank god i wasnt
for all we know she had no money for a taxi, couldnt get a taxi or even just lived around the corner (look at the girl in australia), ideally she shouldnt have been walking on her own but it doesnt matter nobody deserves to get raped and nobody asks for ot.
Please god this girl recovers from this horrific ordeal. Thoughts are with her and her family.
Why are we only hearing this story now?? Have we become so desensitised to these kinda stories that it warrants only a brief reporting 3 days later???????. I live in the locality and people in the area have know nothing, only hear say!!
It could be that she didn’t report it straight away or didn’t want it known to the public
Ireland needs to have life sentences for rapists, murders and pedophiles.Life meaning life. Obviously people should be able to walk the streets safe but realistically there are some predatory inhumane freaks in society and harsh laws are needed to deal with them.
…”inhuman” behaviour…always has been always will be …in that knowledge be forewarned be forearmed…that said , the heart is heavy learning of victims of assault.
Women should be able to walk the streets of their locality at any time of the day or night. Though in saying that, I would always ask my wife to be accompanied home by a friend when out without me. Hopefully this cretin will be found and at the very least, be known within his community as a potential rapist. The justice system does not seem to deter people of this disposition. Very sad that our society has come to this.
Justice has become another commodity to be traded. It’s now acceptable for a sex attacker to buy his way out of a sentence.
That comment has never been more true Daisy!
@penelope That is a VERY disturbing article.
90 red thumbs for saying I hope they catch the bastard or for saying why did the woman put herself in a vulnerable position? Of course it is not her fault for what the man did and women should be safe at at time of day or any place but the truth is we’re not. Now I’m not saying all men are capable of this behaviour and I know men get attacked too but a lone woman is more likely to be attacked than a big burly lad.
She’s actually statistically far more likely to be raped at home with her partner. Should I never sleep in my own bed just in case I get raped? At some point, you have to live your life and not give into the fear.
Maybe she works late in a pub on Saturday night. Maybe her purse was stolen. At some point you have to live your life and no woman should have to be sexually assaulted and then have to deal with strangers on the internet focusing on what she did rather than the fact that rape is an random action without sense or explanation.
Expect a lot more Lisa. I’m sure you wish this woman no harm and aren’t suggesting she deserved it. But our rhetoric around asking ‘why was the victim …’ Needs to change. It’s unintentional, I’m sure, in most cases but it suggests blame on the victim and comes across as unhelpful because it sounds like a bit of ‘it would never happen to me cos I know better’. When the fact is, it could happen to anyone and a perpetrator is out to get someone, any way they can. And that’s what people are red thumbing.
90 thumbs down because it was an ill advised comment to make. Lisa from the journal wrote a fantastic piece on the recent trend of ‘victim blaming’ which I suggest you read to get some perspective.
” a lone woman is more likely to be attacked than a big burly lad.”
Not true. Ever seen a list of all the men kicked to death on Irish streets in the last few years?
Everyone is careful to one degree or another, but how far would you have us go? Do you want the streets deserted after dark? The way to prevent these crimes is to invest in policing and public transport and maybe to keep criminals in jail until their bloody sentences are served, instead of releasing them early. We have to except that we’ll never eradicate violent crime, but it’s the criminals’ fault – not the victims’
Sh*t! I meant ‘accept’!
Lisa, rather then automatically going on the defensive perhaps you should reread your comment and try to see why people took it as “victim blaming”. Because that’s how I took it and it’s certainly how it reads. Your automatic reaction seems to have been “well what the hell was she doing out at that time on her own!” And THAT came across as blaming the victim.
@Sara, this poor girl was found by a passer by walking his dog. The police had the scene cornered off on Sunday morning and were asking the local GAA club staff if they had seen anything the previous night. Gardai refused to comment on Sunday when contacted by a member of the public. This poor girl sustained horrendous injuries and Gardi were investigating from the onset. My previous comment was questioning why the media only reported this story three days later and why did the gardi not did not seek the publics assistance earlier as it is now three days later!!
coz the gardai are useless when it comes to things like this even if the person that did it was found guarantee he would walk free
Only the stupid have blamed the woman for getting assaulted. My point was that these types of attacks are happening everyday in Ireland and people need to be careful and not leave themselves in an isolated area where something might happen
….the misses ….has a hair spray in her hand bag….there is also an argument for guns…?
What was she thinking? No girl should be out at that time. It’s time for the women of Ireland to wise up and face reality.
Maybe the men of Ireland need wise up and stop viewing women as objects to be violated.
I love how you make no mention of the assailant at all. Not to mention that statistics show women are most likely to be sexually assaulted within their home.
The only person to blame for a rape or an attack is the assailant.
your a fecking tool! so what it’s there own fault for being sexually assaulted?
Yes, surely the answer is to put a mandatory curfew on all women. In bed by 10pm and not a second later now girls! Of course, since the statistics say you are just as likely to be raped in your own home, make sure you are in the spare room with the door locked. Oh and since most sexual assaults are carried out by someone you know, try not to ever interact with any men ever. Silly women, always trying to live a normal life without being sexually assaulted!
“Maybe the men of Ireland need wise up and stop viewing women as objects to be violated.”
“The men of Ireland” don’t commit these crimes anymore than “the women of Ireland” murder their children. Responsibility for an individual’s actions lie with the individual and NOT some group that they happened to be born into
Chuck, I was replying to John Kissane’s comment ” It’s time for the women of Ireland to wise up and face reality.”
John’s reality seems to be that men have no self control when it comes to seeing a woman on her own and they may be overcome by the need to rape.
Pretty misogynistic comment, John
Surely the real question is why is anybody out at that time of the morning! Surely you can have a pleasant night out and be home by midnight or just after. Hope she’s not seriously harmed.
No, the real question is why is it impossible for some men to keep it in their pants? Walking alone any time of the day or night is NOT an invitation to be assaulted. And at that hour of the morning some people are going to and from work.
Can’t believe John Aldridge left a comment
it doesn’t say that the woman was on a night out in the article. she could have been on her way home from work or anything. it doesn’t matter why she was out that late walking down that road. its just as dark at 12 as it is at 4am, you can get attacked any time any place. what matters is that the gaurds can gather enough information to arrest the sicko who did this and the woman makes a full recovery.
John, I think the reason he was out was because he wanted to rape someone.
Hope this clears things up for you
That is a sick and disgusting comment. How are you imply that she was, in ANY way, at fault. Walking down an empty road in the early hours of the morning is not consent to sex.
Can’t believe that comment!! You assume this lady was out partying. Maybe John Aldridge she was out working shiftwork. Don’t be so quick to judge.
I hope the person is okay.
Beyond parody, Aldridge
Poor girl, its awful anyone has to suffer this without being blamed by idiots. Plenty of men get the crap kicked out of them at night, should we just have a mandatory curfew for everyone then? Once its dark stay indoors? Not everyone can choose to be out if they work, not everyone can afford taxis home either. Hopefully he will be caught before he does it again.
….second that!.son of friend living in London will not allow teenage sons to go out at night..
@maggie…second that…son of friend living in London…does not allow his young sons to go out at night.!
I don’t car what gender you are but surely that’s an odd time for someone to be abroad without being under the influence of a long night so to speak which makes everyone more vulnerable. I wouldn’t do it anywhere in this country.
I don’t think anyone is blaming the victim. However, it is a fact that in general men are stronger and more aggressive than women and that women are more likely to be victims of rape. We don’t need to live in a state of constant fear but we do need to trust our instincts and avoid putting ourselves in potentially vulnerable situations. Yes, we should feel safe anywhere at anytime, but that is not the reality.
I think that yes, the reality is its not safe. But the absolute wrong question to ask is ‘what was she doing walking by herself’. We as a society always ask that first, always wondering what she could have done differently to have avoided being assaulted, as if it was her fault. that attitude is victim blaming whether we want to admit it or not. If you don’t agree then please imagine asking her that to her face without feeling like a dick. what we should be doing is saying ‘why is this the reality?’. Why should we be content to live in a society where its not safe to be by yourself at night? It’s not her fault she was raped, and that needs to stop being the attitude, not just in this country but globally.
are some of you seriously for real?? in 35 years of living i have never encountered comments in this extreme ratio of utter stupidity in all my days….why on earth is it the womans fault for walking home at that hour?? women AND men should be able to walk free without any deranged sick idiot waiting to assault….i find some of the comments to be of the most profound and abnormal context…should ALL WOMEN have a curfew just because there are freaks out there who cant keep it in their y-fronts, surely its the authorities who should be dealing with sickos like these.
….the comment comes from the assumption that we are all civilised and caring….seen as a case of denial…. as it is apparent that “civilised behaviour” is but veneer …a fact that is well accepted in the so called LDC in which your man dwelleth!….
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