Gardai investigating the rape of a 12-year-old girl in Clondalkin, Dublin, on Tuesday have renewed their appeals for information.
A Garda spokesman said it was unable to confirm whether the man responsible for the attack was the same man who raped a 10-year-old girl in the locality earlier this year. However, the spokesman said, "two incidents are being investigated now. We can't say at this stage whether they are related but we are keeping all our options option."
Tuesday's attack took place at Lealand Drive off Nangor Road between 8.30 a.m. and 8.45 a.m. The attacker is described as aged in his mid-20s, of scruffy appearance, between 5 ft 8 in and 5 ft 9 in and possibly wearing a grey jumper.
A number of locals have reported seeing a man fitting this description in the area recently. Gardai said it was possible the man was in the area in the past couple of weeks but are unsure if he lives locally.
The girl was on her way to school when grabbed from behind and threatened with a knife. She was forced into a lane-way behind a row of houses and had her face covered during the assault. The knife and a pillow case, used to cover her face, were recovered from the crime scene.
The attack follows the rape in January of a 10-year-old girl at Lindisfarne Avenue, less than a quarter of a mile away from Lea land Drive. Local residents have also reported several attempted sexual assaults in recent months.
Anybody who saw anything suspicious in the vicinity of Lealand Drive on Tuesday morning or in the previous days is asked to contact the incident room at Ronans town Garda station at (01) 457 0924 or the Garda confidential line, 1-800 666 111.
