Hunt for man after girl attacked in woods during picnic
The incident happened at Ballyare Woods between Letterkenny and Ramelton on Wednesday night.
The girls had enjoyed a picnic and had been walking through the woods at about 7.30pm when the attacker struck. The 12-year-old girl was left badly shaken and had a severe red mark on her side where she was struck. The man ran off when the girl called out to another friend on the picnic.
The terrified girls ran home and told their parents. A number of men immediately searched the woods but could not find any trace of the man.
The father of one of the girls said: “The girls are terrified. It was a completely unprovoked attack. It is terrifying to think that there is a man out there who has done this to a completely innocent young girl.
“We just want the message to go out there for people to remain alert and to warn their children that this maniac is out there somewhere.”
Gardaí interviewed the girls and their families and also issued an appeal to a man who was walking his dogs in the woods earlier to contact them.
Garda Inspector David Kelly said “We are asking anybody who was in this area and may have seen anybody acting suspiciously to come forward.
“We have launched a full investigation into this incident and we would appeal for witnesses,” he said.
