Alleged rape of Trinity student

Trinity students have been warned to be extra vigilant following suspicions that a female student was raped near her campus residence.

The student claims she was raped close to the Trinity Halls in Dartry two weeks ago after getting out of her taxi.

Cathal Reilly, President of Trinity College Students’ Union, said that he is aware of the incident and advises all students to be “especially careful in the city at night and never to walk home alone”.
The student’s last movements before the incident are uncertain and the woman has no recollection of the period between the time she departed the taxi and the time she was found.

All taxi companies have contacted their drivers to find out if they had seen the girl or stopped for her. One taxi driver said: “The woman remembers being dropped off by a taxi van and that is it. I think the Gardaí that were investigating it on Monday night were looking for drivers of taxi vans in particular.”
However, a spokesman for the Gardai said that no line of enquiry is being followed because they have not received any complaints. “There are a number of emails going around alleging that taxi drivers are raping female passengers - no complaint has been lodged with An Garda Síochana,” he said.

Athlone Institute of Technology (AIT) has also issued safety warnings to students in recent weeks, since a spate of sexual assaults have taken place near its campus. An AIT student is the latest victim of a suspected serial attacker, referred to locally as the ‘Beast of Athlone’.

AIT’s Students’ Union has taken a number of actions to help prevent such attacks such as the sale of rape alarms in the union shop.

They have been advising all female students to take the shuttle bus to and from town while a poster campaign around campus also highlights the dangers of walking alone at night.
Micheál Fogarty, AITSU President, said that while female students are still on edge regarding the events in the town, it has brought about positive changes in their everyday routines. He said: “The situation seems to have calmed down a little bit now…they [female students] have reacted and do seem to be walking around in groups now.”

With the problem reaching critical levels in Athlone, Gardaí have hired a criminal profiler to help in the hunt for the assailant but are still unwilling to make any link between the five attacks which have taken place in the town over the past 18 months