Gardaí in Shankill Dublin have confirmed that chief suspect has been identified in relation to a string of sexual assaults in the area.
The news comes after there have been four alleged attacks reported since last December, with three of those in the Shankill area and another on Military Road, Killiney. Gardaí say they have made a significant breakthrough in the investigation after an undercover operation was conducted last week along with the deployment of Garda helicopter .
However the Gardaí have been criticised by the public in recent weeks after they decided not to issue a description of the attacker. When asked why a description of the attacker was released last December, the Garda Press Office said: ‘At that point, for investigative and operational reasons, a decision was made based on the information available to gardaí not to issue an appeal in respect of these incidents. ‘The Shankill community policing unit regularly informs and liaises with the local community in relation to matters around personal safety.’
Meanwhile the Garda ombudsman also said that they agreed with the Gardaí’s decision not to issue a description because the victims privacy was of the upmost importance. They also said that a prime suspect has been identified but has yet to be arrested.