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Gardaí has launched a major investigation after a teenage girl was reportedly raped on a playground in Charlestown, Co Mayo, over the weekend.
The 15-year-old victim is believed to be in the company of another girl when several men approached them in a black car on Saturday afternoon.
The attack is reported to have occurred later at a playground in the Lowpark area of the city.
Gardaí is understood to have identified one of the three men, who is said to be in his late teens, as a suspect in the investigation.
It is understood that the alleged attacker was not previously known to the girl and is not from the locality.
Witnesses are believed to have been able to give Gardaí a clear description of a black car that was seen in the area at the time.
The Garda forensic investigators carried out an examination in the playground where the reported attack took place and in the neighboring parking lot.
Yesterday, the local population expressed their horror at the incident.
One man, who asked not to be named, said the area “woke up with a nightmare” Sunday morning.
“This is a small town and we all know and care for each other so this is horrible.
“For any parent who hears news like this, it is actually their worst nightmare.
“Everyone is very upset and angry.
“The first thing I knew was this morning when I saw all the guards and the forensic team. There was a big forensic shop and they were there for a long time.
“They took over the playground and the parking lot throughout the day.
“When I saw how many Gardaí there were there, I knew that something very serious had happened.
“You don’t expect to hear news like this,” he said.
Gardaí last night issued an appeal for witnesses to the attack, saying: “Gardaí is requesting information from the public regarding the rape of a teenage girl reported to have occurred at a playground in the Lowpark area of Charlestown, Co Mayo, on September 26, 2020.
“A forensic examination of the scene has been conducted.
“Anyone with information, particularly anyone in the vicinity of the Square and / or Lowpark areas of Charlestown between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., should contact Garda at Claremorris at 094 937 2080 or the Line Garda Confidential at 1800 666 111 “.
Irish independent
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