Gardai have appealed for witnesses who may have seen an eight-year-old girl fleeing in terror from a man who eventually caught and raped her in Cork city on Saturday evening. The incident happened during a downpour between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. in the Gardiner's Hill-Dillon's Cross-St Luke's area close to the centre of Cork, on the the north side of the city.
Gardai said last night it was in- conceivable that the chase was not seen by passers-by, either on foot or in their cars. "Someone must have seen something. This is a busy area of Cork and the sight of a child running away like that would be bound to raise suspicions."
The girl's attacker is believed to be between 16 and 20 years of age.
It is understood that the girl, who is from the area, was playing with her six-year-old sister when she was approached by the man who gardai say was of "short stature, slight build and with dark hair".
He offered her enticements, understood to be sweets, to join him, but she ran away. As she was running on one side of the street he pursued her on the other side. Towards the end of the hill he dragged her into a wasteground area where she was raped.
The child was taken to the South Infirmary hospital in Cork. She was at home with her family yesterday.
Gardai said they were seeking information from anyone who saw two girls playing near the public telephone kiosk in Dillon's Cross or that general area from 5.30 p.m. The girl who was attacked was wearing a light blue fleece-type tracksuit top with white shoulder patches, royal blue tracksuit bottoms with white stripes on the legs and beige shoes.
The statement said someone may have seen the girl running from Dillon's Cross towards St Luke's and they should contact gardai at Mayfield Garda Station (tel 021-501145), MacCurtain Street Garda station (021-503337) or on the confidential Garda telephone at 1800 666 111.