A man in his 20s has been charged in connection with the alleged sexual assault of a 10-year-old girl near the Citywest Hotel complex in Saggart, Co Dublin. The incident is understood to have taken place late on Sunday night into the early hours of Monday morning, and the man is due to appear before a Dublin court this morning.
Gardaí are continuing to establish the full circumstances of what happened. Specialist child interviewers are waiting to speak with the girl when she is medically ready. The child is currently in the care of Tusla, which confirmed that a serious incident involving a young girl had occurred over the weekend.
According to the child and family agency, the girl had been voluntarily placed into care by her family in February due to “significant behavioural issues.” She had been living in a fully staffed, registered residential placement when she absconded from staff during a planned recreational outing in Dublin city centre.
After initially returning to a relative’s home, she later went missing again. Tusla said she remained in phone contact with staff but refused to disclose her location. She eventually informed them that she had been involved in a serious incident. Gardaí were then able to locate her.
Two locations near the Citywest Hotel were sealed off for forensic examination following the report, though both cordons have since been lifted. CCTV footage has also been gathered from the area, including from nearby Luas stops. The girl has received medical attention.
In a statement, Tusla said its focus remains on supporting the young girl and her family and liaising closely with An Garda Síochána as part of the investigation. It added that it would not be appropriate to share further details at this stage.
A small protest involving around 60 people took place outside the IPAS centre in Citywest last night, where Gardaí maintained a visible presence. Officials confirmed that the man in custody was not a resident of the centre.
Tánaiste Simon Harris described the alleged assault as raising “very worrying and profound issues” and said his immediate thoughts were with the young girl. Speaking ahead of the Cabinet meeting this morning, he said, “This is a deeply distressing, horrifying, shocking situation.” Mr Harris added that the case “raises fundamental questions about a child in care” and urged that time be given for the facts to be properly established.
Gardaí have appealed for information from anyone who may have been in the Citywest Drive, Garter Lane, Citywest Luas stop, or Saggart Luas stop areas between 11pm on Sunday and 1.30am on Monday. The Clondalkin Garda Station investigation team can be contacted on 01 666 7600, or through the Garda Confidential Line at 1800 666 111.
The investigation remains ongoing.
