Gardaí are trying to establish if a gang assault on a 15-year-old boy in Dublin was pre-planned, as they suspect, including the teenage victim being lured to the location where he was attacked.
The boy was left with serious injuries after the gang assault on him by a group of teenagers and was hospitalised. Gardaí believe weapons, possibly bars or bats, were used by at least some of the group who assaulted the boy.
The attack occurred at about 5pm on Sunday in the St Vincent Street West area of Inchicore, Dublin 8. Gardaí believe the boy, who is from west Dublin, had gone to the area to meet a young girl.
However, it appears that when he arrived a group of other teenagers were waiting for him and attacked him before fleeing the area.
When the emergency services arrived at the scene the attackers had fled and while the boy had left the immediate vicinity of the attack he was located a short distance away. He was treated at the scene by paramedics before being taken to hospital.
Gardaí sealed off the crime scene and it has undergone an examination by members of the Garda Technical Bureau. Gardaí were also hopeful the victim might be able to identify some of his attackers.
The investigation team, based at Kilmainham Garda station, was also gathering CCTV close to the scene and surrounding areas in a bid to identify the teenagers in the gang who carried out the assault.
"A male youth, aged 15 years, received serious injuries following an assault reportedly involving a group of youths. He was taken to Crumlin children's hospital for treatment," Garda Headquarters, Phoenix Park, Dublin, said in reply to queries.
It added no arrests had been made to date but that investigations were ongoing. Garda sources said they believed the attackers would be identified and were very hopeful of solving the crime.
