Extra Garda patrols after claim of child snatch bid

Gardaí have put extra patrols into an area on the eastern outskirts of Cork city following a claim that a woman attempted to abduct a girl by enticing her into a car with lollipops. 

The incident is said to have occurred at around 2pm last Saturday when the nine-year-old child was walking in the Glounthaune area. It’s believed the child was approached by a middle-aged woman who was driving a silver car. The child did not get into the vehicle and informed relatives, who contacted gardaí.

Gardaí have alerted national schools in the area and urged principals to speak to children and highlight the potential dangers of engaging with strangers. A Garda spokesman admitted details of the incident are sketchy, but it appears the woman was on her own in the car at the time.

“We would like to speak to anybody who was in the Glounthaune area last Saturday between 1.30pm and 2.30pm and who may have seen a woman fitting the description acting suspiciously,” he said. Sinn Féin county councillor Ger Keohane urged parents to be vigilant. “It’s important parents know where their children are at all times.”

Anybody with information about the alleged incident is asked to contact Mayfield Garda Station at 021 4558510.