Gardai investigating separate complaint made by assault victim

The Garda ombudsman is investigating a separate complaint made by the victim of a vicious assault which was highlighted in the Irish Examiner this week.

Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald told the Dáil last night that the victim was in contact with her office late last year and made an allegation separate to her account of how an assault on her was not investigated by the gardaí.

Minister Fitzgerald was responding to a question from Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin, who asked what steps were being taken to address the case .

The case involves a Polish woman who was subjected to a vicious assault, including an alleged sexual assault, in a town in the west of Ireland which was not investigated properly, despite a garda attending at the scene and medical records in which she alleged she had been sexually assaulted.

“I can inform the House that the person in question also raised a second issue in the correspondence which is not in the public domain and on which it would not be appropriate to comment publicly,” Minister Fitzgerald said.

“However, in light of this matter the Commissioner has now referred the correspondence which was received to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commision in respect of that specific issue.”

Mr Martin listed the litany of alleged failures that had been highlighted in Monday’s report, including no effort to arrest the suspect at the scene, no medical examination of the victim, no attempt to gather evidence and no request to obtain medical records for 10 months.

“She was a Polish woman with clear issues with the English language, yet no interpreter was brought to bear on the case,” he said.

The investigation by the ombudsman is the third probe that has now been launched into this case. Following a complaint about the handling of the victim’s medical care, the HSE appointed two staff to investigate. A Garda inspector is also investigating on behalf of the force.

PJ McEvoy, the former general secretary of the Prison Officers’ Association, told the Irish Examiner that the case was one of the worst he had encountered.

“The extent of the brutal rape and assault on this lady is one of the worst cases I can recall in my period associated with the criminal justice system,” he said.

READ MORE:  Special Report: ’He started to beat me hard. He told me I will break your face’

READ MORE: Garda probe launched as to why case was not properly investigated