GARDAÍ IN Cork have arrested two teenagers for questioning about two attacks on women, including one in which a woman was seriously sexually assaulted in the grounds of a church.
Detectives arrested a 19-year-old man in Kanturk and an 18-year-old man in Mallow at about 7.30am yesterday for questioning about the two assaults in Cork city early on December 3rd.
They were arrested under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act which allows gardaí to detain suspects for up to 24 hours. The 19- year-old was brought to Togher Garda station and the 18-year-old was taken to the Bridewell. The arrests followed an intensive investigation by gardaí under Supt Charlie Barry of Togher, in which CCTV footage from premises in Dennehy’s Cross, Victoria Cross and Mardyke in Cork city was studied.
Detectives launched the investigation after a woman in her 30s was sexually assaulted by two men as she walked home at about 3.30am on December 3rd.
Gardaí believe the woman was followed by the two men along the Western Road to Dennehy’s Cross, where one of them pushed her into the gateway of a church.
The second man then appeared and both carried out a serious sexual assault on her. One attempted to rape her but they fled when she managed to get out her mobile phone and tried to ring 999.
Gardaí, while investigating the attack, began examining CCTV footage which led to them to investigate another incident in which a woman in her 20s was attacked at about 2.45am.
She was followed along Dyke Parade and passed the Mercy University Hospital where two men ran after her and one of them hit her on the back of the head with a bottle. She was treated at the hospital for a head injury.
Gardaí, after examining CCTV footage from near the hospital, believe the same men were involved in the attack at Dennehy’s Cross 45 minutes later.