Gardaí in Cork have advised women to avoid walking home at night on their own following two reports of rape in the city within 24 hours.
A woman in her mid-20s said yesterday she was sexually assaulted as she walked towards the city centre at 11.30 p.m. on Tuesday.
The victim told gardaí a man pounced on her as she was heading in the direction of the Watercourse Road. She said he dragged her in to a small recess near the Constellation bar and raped her.
The woman managed to escape from her attacker. A female passer-by called an ambulance, which took the victim to the South Infirmary hospital. She was due to be interviewed by gardaí yesterday.
Gardaí have not yet ruled out a link between this incident and the rape of an Australian tourist in her 20s on Western Road in Cork early on Monday. But a connection between the two assaults is said to be highly unlikely.
The tourist was beaten and raped by a man who earlier had befriended her in a pub on Washington Street.
Gardaí are appealing to anyone who may have information about either sexual assault to contact 021-427-0681.