Investigators seek to quell fears after sex assaults in town

Gardaí investigating complaints of serious sex assaults on three young women in the same town have moved to quell fears that there is a serial attacker on the prowl.

Two of the victims were attacked within 24 hours last weekend while another said she had been sexually assaulted the previous weekend in Listowel, Co Kerry.

One of the incidents is understood to have involved a teenager who claims she was assaulted in the town park shortly before 8pm on Friday, Sept 21.

Another attack, also involving a teenage girl, was reported to have occurred at a town centre location, near the landmark Listowel Castle, shortly after 1am on Sept 23. It was close the location of another alleged attack on a young woman the previous weekend.

The three victims were brought to the sexual assault unit of Cork University Hospital for assessment and treatment.

Gardaí, who are following certain lines of inquiry in all three cases, have conducted detailed forensic examinations of the areas and CCTV footage has been closely scrutinised in an effort to help the investigation.

However, a Garda spokesman said they believed there was no direct connection between the three incidents.

“They are not linked. We can assure the public there is no serial predator out there,” he said.

Meanwhile, the mayor of Listowel, Cllr Tom Barry, has called for greater security measures, including improved CCTV coverage, in the town to combat the threat of further attacks.

He said the incidents had left people in the town very upset and shocked.

Kerry Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre director, Vera O’Leary, said a very distressing factor was that a just a very small percentage of rapes were actually reported.