Gardaí hunt for three youths after alleged assault on pregnant woman in Cork

Gardaí in Cork are investigating an assault on a pregnant woman in the city centre yesterday evening.

The 25-year-old, who is six months pregnant, was walking along Princes Street at around 7.30pm when she was approached by three youths.

The woman, who is a foreign national, was punched in the eye by one of the three before they ran off.

Gardaí have begun examining CCTV footage from the area and are appealing for witnesses to come forward.

Good Samaritan Derek Collins contacted Cork's 96fm Opinion Line after he came upon the woman yesterday evening.

He said he called 999 and was told there were no Gardaí available to assist.

Derek said: "I was walking over Nano Nagle Bridge at about 7pm last night and I passed three young fellas, clearly drunk, hammered I think to be honest.

"I was walking down South Mall, I was on the left hand side of the street, they were on the right, and next thing I heard a slap and this woman was holding her face.

"I suppose I was a bit shocked, I stopped her and asked her 'did he just hit you?' You don't expect these things to happen, but I shouted down the road as they were trying to run away."

Derek admitted that he didn't know whether to run after the culprits or stay with the pregnant woman, but he phoned the Gardaí straight away and told another man to stay with the woman while he chased after the culprits.

He said: "The guards told me they had them on CCTV camera, but they had nobody available in town.

"They (the assailants) ran down French Church Street towards Paul Street Shopping Centre, and I told the guards where they were but I was just told they had no available units.

"To be honest, I lost the plot a little bit with the guard on the phone, because it was 7pm on a Sunday evening, there is a Christmas festival in town and there is not one guard in Cork city."

Derek returned to the woman, expecting Gardaí to be there with her but they weren't, so he rang the Gardaí again.

He said: "I was told again there was nobody available, they basically prioritised whatever they had to do and there would be nobody there.

"Now I would say they probably didn't have the resources to come there, that's not an excuse for them, but it's definitely something that should be highlighted the next time a politician knocks on your door for election."