Gardai investigating the violent rapes of three prostitutes in south central Dublin in the past two months are questioning a man arrested in the city yesterday afternoon. The prostitutes, all in their 20s, suffered severe beatings and were stripped and left tied to lamp posts after being raped. The same man was believed to be responsible for all three attacks. He is expected to appear in court shortly.
The first attack happened on the evening of September 28th when a prostitute was picked up on Wilton Terrace, off the Grand Canal and driven to Misery Hill, in the docks area near Pearse Street. The next victim was also picked up on Wilton Terrace on October 18th and taken to Laverty Court, a laneway off Pembroke Street. The third victim was taken to a laneway in the Kilmainham area on October 21st.
Attacks on prostitutes are not uncommon in Dublin but gardai said these attacks were unusual because the victims were subjected to violent rape, and afterwards were tied naked to lamp posts.
After the first attack was reported, gardai warned other prostitutes working in the Grand Canal and Fitzwilliam Square area of the danger of further attacks. However, most continued working. Many of the women involved are understood to be heroin addicts.
A special unit of gardai from Harcourt Terrace and Pearse Street stations was set up to carry out surveillance of areas where prostitutes work and to collate information on suspects with histories of violence sexual assaults.
The information gathered yesterday led to the arrest of a Dublin man in his early 30s who had come to the attention of the Garda before in relation to sexual assaults. He was being held at Harcourt Terrace.