Rape of student may be linked with earlier attack
Senior garda sources said there were a lot of similarities between the two incidents which took place within a short distance of each other, although in the first attack, on Friday, November 21, the student wasn’t sexually assaulted.
She was walking home from a night out when a man came up behind her and struck her on the forehead with a brick. He then demanded money and the student took her purse out of her handbag and threw it on the ground.
The attacker then walked away with her mobile phone and her purse containing €100.
This incident happened at 3.45am at Highfield Avenue West in Cork City, just a short distance from School Lane where a 19-year-old was raped at 3.35am last Thursday.
In that incident the attacker came up behind the woman on Magazine Road and grabbed her. he then dragged her down School Lane to an area of waste ground near UCC where he beat and raped her. However, before raping the young student the attacker demanded money.
“There are a number of similarities, such as the time of night, the fact it was late in the week and that the locations of the attacks are fairly close. Robbery appeared to be part of the modus operandi in both cases,” a senior garda spokesman said.
However, the descriptions given by both women do differ somewhat. The student who was robbed on Friday, November 21, said her attacker was of strong build, in his 20s and about 6ft tall. She said his head was shaved.
The description given by the young woman is more sketchy. She said her attacker was around 19-20 years old and between5ft 8ins and 5ft 10ins. The woman also told detectives that he had short hair cut in a step fashion.
“Despite the different descriptions we are still keeping an open mind,” a garda source said. They have also advised female students to be extremely careful when going home from a night out.
Anybody with information on either of the two incidents is asked to contact Bishopstown Garda Station at 021-4541012 or Togher Garda Station at 021-4947120.
