The identities of those responsible for the double rape of a 15-year-old English girl in Belfast on Saturday morning were known to police and many west Belfast people, said security and republican sources.
Those involved were "notorious for causing havoc" in the Twinbrook and other areas of nationalist west Belfast, said one republican source. He said the day after the girl was attacked the rapist and his accomplice were known.
One security source agreed that the main suspects had been identified. "The problem though is to get the evidence to convict them and police need the public's assistance to do that," he said.
The attack caused particular revulsion, particularly because the rapist used the victim's mobile phone to phone and text her mother to gloat about what he had done.
Yesterday, two callers to BBC Radio Ulster's Stephen Nolan Show said they had contacted the PSNI with important information about the case but their calls were not returned. One said people were able to tell him the name of those allegedly responsible for the assault.
The PSNI's Chief Supt Ken Henning said it was investigating these claims and disciplinary action could follow against any police officer who failed to follow up on these calls properly.
The republican source said the assailants were very well known to the social services and police. "They are beyond anybody's control." It is often the case in such incidents that local people would prevail on the IRA to take action. However, any so-called punishment attack on the alleged perpetrators would be contrary to the IRA statement.
"That isn't an issue here," said the source. "You could shoot these guys 40 times in the legs and they would still come back for more. Nothing would stop them terrorising the community."
The incident also raised a policing question for Sinn Féin. A party spokesman said that anybody who wanted to help should feel free to contact the police.
"But if there are people who won't go to the police, they have a duty to contact somebody, such as a solicitor or the Police Ombudsman, so that evidence can be gathered to convict these people in a court."