Gardaí investigating last week's murder of Swiss student Manuela Riedo in Galway are examining profiles of recent sex offenders and suspects as part of their inquiry.
A Garda appeal for information which may assist the investigation was read out at church services throughout Galway city and county over the weekend.
No independent DNA evidence linked to Ms Riedo's death has as yet been identified, Supt Tom Curley, who is heading the investigation, confirmed yesterday.
However, forensic analysis is still being carried out on items retrieved at the location of Ms Riedo's death in Renmore, and on samples following a postmortem of Ms Riedo's body, which showed that she had died from asphyxiation.
"We had a forensic scientist at the scene, and laboratory analysis is going to take some time," Supt Curley said.
DNA samples were taken voluntarily from all of Ms Riedo's fellow students, who have now travelled home to Switzerland. Supt Curley has not ruled out making a wider appeal for samples at a later stage, which would help to rule out groups and narrow the focus of the investigation.
"We don't have a national DNA database of sexual offenders, but we do have profiles of recent cases here going back several years," Supt Curley said. "If DNA retrieved does not match one of our suspects, we may have to extend it."
As yet, gardaí have no reason to link the attack on Ms Riedo to two recent cases of sexual assault in the city centre area of Galway, which they are investigating. Nor have they evidence to link it to a spate of violent assaults over the past two months in Athlone, Co Westmeath.
"But I wouldn't be doing my job though if we didn't examine everything," Supt Curley said yesterday.
Arrangements were still being made over the weekend to repatriate Ms Riedo's body to Switzerland, and it is expected to arrive home early this week. The 17-year-old student's parents, Hans and Arlette, have been too distraught to travel to Ireland and they speak no English.
It is expected that their only child's body will be accompanied home by a Swiss diplomatic official.
Patrick Creed, director of studies of the Galway Language Centre where Ms Riedo had been enrolled on a two-week English course, said that a representative of staff would attend Ms Riedo's funeral in her native Hinterkappelen, near Berne. Books of condolences have been signed at the centre, and books were open at church services throughout Galway yesterday. Funeral arrangements in Switzerland are still being finalised, he said.
Prayers were said at services throughout Galway city and county over the weekend for Ms Riedo's family, according to the Galway diocesan office.
The appeal for information asks anyone who was in the Renmore or Ceannt station areas of the city between 7.30pm on Monday last, October 8th, and 9.30am on Tuesday, October 9th, to contact gardaí at Mill Street station.
Fr Michael Mulkerrins, parish priest of Renmore, plans to hold a Mass for Ms Riedo at St Oliver Plunkett's church on Thursday at 7.30pm. The Mass is being organised in co-operation with colleges in Galway, including Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology in Renmore.
