A 19-year-old woman was attacked in Athlone early this morning in an area where three women were attacked last year.
The woman was assaulted as she walked in the Bonavalley Bridge area on the Old Dublin Road near the Athlone Institute of Technology (AIT). The teenager is believed to be a student in the college, which is hosting Freshers’ Week this week.
A Garda spokesman said the area had been sealed off for a technical examination. "The only description we have of the attacker unfortunately is that he was dressed all in black," the spokesman said. He said it was "too early to say" if there was a link with the previous attacks, but it is understood gardaí are examining those incidents in relation to this morning's attack.
AIT Students' Union president Micheal Fogarty said it had warned students to be vigilant. "The Students' Union at AIT implements an ongoing safety information programme and 'Stay Messages' were an integral part of student induction last week," he said.
"We will be reinforcing the message that students not walk alone and remain vigilant at all times. Our priority is to ensure the well-being and safety of the students at AIT."
He said buses have been organised to ferry students between the town and the campus in an effort to stop people walking home alone at night.
In October last year, a woman was badly hurt in an attack as she walked late at night in the same area. In the early hours of September 23rd, 2007, another woman was attacked after she was grabbed from behind and dragged to a secluded area.
A young woman was also attacked in the early hours of August 12th, 2007, in an incident that was featured on the Crimecallprogramme on RTÉ television.
In the August case, the woman and her friend had left a nightclub shortly after 3am and made their way to Bonavalley Bridge where they waited for a taxi. The victim waited here while her friend went further into Athlone town in search of a taxi.
While alone, she was grabbed from behind and dragged into a nearby disused bus carpark. The man beat her violently leaving her with severe cuts and bruises to her face. She managed to fight him off, and he ran away.
The Crimestoppers group last year offered a reward of €10,000 for information leading to arrest of the man believed to be responsible the three attacks. The Garda spokesman today declined to make any connection with the latest attack.
