A woman was attacked by a man in Athlone, Co Westmeath in the early hours of this morning.
The 28-year-old was walking to a shop at 5am when she was assaulted, a Garda spokesman said. She was treated for minor injuries and later released from hospital. A Garda spokesman said there was no description of the attacker.
The attack happened in the Hallsbridge area of the town and follows four attacks on women walking alone in the town since late last year.
The other four attacks occurred near the Athlone Institute of Technology (AIT) in Bonavalley Bridge area on the Old Dublin Road. Gardai are not yet linking this morning’s attack with the other four cases.
A 19-year-old woman was attacked in the early hours of last Monday morning. The AIT student was assaulted as she walked near the college which was hosting Freshers’ Week.
The attacker in this case was dressed all in black. Gardai said at the time it was "too early to say" if there was a link with the previous attacks
In October last year, a woman was badly hurt in an attack as she walked late at night in the Bonavalley 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 Crimecall programme on RTÉ television.
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.
