Gardaí in Athlone are seeking the assistance of the public after a teenage girl was seriously assaulted by a number of youths in the Monksland area of the town on Tuesday evening last week.
The serious assault took place in the Monksland area of the Old Tuam Road, between Monksland Community Centre and the Ceathrú na gCloch housing estate, between 7pm and 8pm on Tuesday evening November 15.
The girl sustained minor injuries in the incident but was not hospitalised. Gardaí have not revealed the exact nature of the assault, nor whether it was of a sexual nature.
They believe a number of youths were involved in the attack on the teenager.
It is believed that a number of people were in the area at the time, and Gardaí are particularly anxious to speak to a woman who may have been out walking her dog in the area at the time, and to two female joggers who it is also believed were in the vicinity. The area of Monksland is particularly popular with joggers.
While the national media has been awash in recent days with speculation as to the nature of the assault and details of the perpetrators, Sergeant John Lawless of Athlone Garda Station said yesterday that these details did not come from Garda sources in Athlone and they were not associating themselves with any of these stories.
He said Gardaí were not releasing the age of the girl nor the nature of the attack due to operational reasons. Neither have they specified whether the youths who carried out the attack were male or female.
Gardaí are anxious to speak with anyone who was in the vicinity at the time of the attack, anyone who witnessed any suspicious behaviour in the area, or anyone who has any information which may help them in their enquiries.
Anyone with any information on the incident is asked to contact Athlone Garda Station at (090 ) 6492600.
