Assaulted women moved to ward

The two female tourists who were assaulted by a lone male attacker in Dublin at the weekend were moved from the emergency department to a ward in St James's Hospital yesterday.

The women, aged 64 and 48, who were on a weekend break in the city with their husbands, were being treated for facial lacerations and bruising, having suffered repeated kicks and blows to the head.

They were in a stable condition after their ordeal, the hospital said last night.

The women, both from Cardiff in Wales, were walking with their husbands down Clare Street on the way to their hotel at about 11 p.m. on Sunday night when they were knocked to the ground by the attacker.

The man rained kicks and punches upon all four tourists before running away, but only the two women were seriously injured. Gardaí were alerted within minutes of the attack.

The assault was unprovoked, gardaí said, and the couples were not robbed.

It is thought that the man was following the group.

Gardaí in Pearse Street are appealing for help in tracing the attacker who is described as a large bald man - about 6 ft 3 in to 6 ft 5 in - with tanned skin and wearing a three-quarter-length leather jacket.

Det Insp John Fitzpatrick of Pearse Street Garda station said: "We are very anxious to trace this man. He may have gone into a shop, somebody may remember this particular man that committed this assault. He is very distinctive due to his height and his physical appearance."

The co-ordinator of the Tourist Victim Support Service, Ms Lisa Kennedy, said she was surprised by the attack as assaults on tourists had been on the decrease.

"Last year we dealt with just four unprovoked assaults, compared with 11 in 2001. Most crimes against tourists involve robbery, this type of attack is not common."

Ms Kennedy said the service had yet to speak to the couples but may be in touch with them over the coming days.

Additional reporting PA