GARDAÍ HAVE enlisted the help of a behavioural analyst and psychological profiler as part of their investigation into a series of violent attacks on women in the Athlone area.
Supt Aidan Glacken of Athlone said yesterday that the experts had been called in to aid the Garda inquiry, but that assistance from the general public was crucial to solving the case. "We have invested a very sizeable amount of resources and we have a very large team of personnel working on this," Supt Glacken said.
"We have gathered a huge amount of information to date, but we will need more assistance from the general public in trying to bring it to finality."
Five attacks on women walking alone at night and in the early hours of the morning have occurred in Athlone over the past 13 months, with the two most recent of these taking place in the last week.
The incidents, believed to be sexual in nature, have been described by gardaí as serious physical assaults.
Supt Glacken said that there were certain similarities between each of the incidents, the first four of which took place in the Bonnavalley Bridge area, with the most recent occurring at approximately 5.30am on Saturday in Hallsbridge, Athlone.
"The modus operandi is quite similar in that obviously you have a female on their own being attacked from behind," he said.
"There's a certain element of violence and a certain similarity, but they're not all the same, and for that reason it's too quick to jump to a conclusion that this is one person."
As part of their investigations, Athlone gardaí have conducted 5,000 to 6,000 door-to-door inquiries, have taken photographs of between 600 and 700 men in the area and have taken DNA samples from some local residents.
A description of a potential suspect has been issued, describing a male of between 172cm (5ft 8in) and 177cm (5ft 10in) tall, of slim, athletic build with distinctively large or deep-set eyes.
A further appeal to the public for assistance is due to be made on RTÉ's Crimecallthis evening.