A teenager was last night being questioned by gardaí in relation to the latest in a series of on-street sexual assault and groping attacks in the Ranelagh area of south Dublin.
Garda sources said while the man was being questioned on the most recent of four attacks, they could not be sure if all, or any, of the incidents were linked.
In recent weeks community gardaí from Terenure and Donnybrook Garda stations, which have shared responsibility for policing Ranelagh, have conducted house-to-house calls alerting residents to the recent attacks.
The community gardaí have encouraged female residents to exercise caution when returning home alone at night. However, Garda sources insisted that none of the recent attacks was being treated as a rape. The latest incident took place on Cowper Road just after noon on Sunday.
Garda sources said the victim had alighted from the Luas when she was approached by a man on the street. She was "manhandled" by the assailant, who tried to grope her and pulled at her clothing. The attacker then ran from the scene, leaving his distressed female victim to alert gardaí. She was in a position to give a statement to gardaí who yesterday arrested an 18-year-old in relation to the incident.
This incident follows three attacks in the area last month. The first took place on October 6th on Dartry Road. A man approached two women on the street and began groping them before running away. The second attack took place on October 14th in Ranelagh. After the female victim stepped from a taxi at about 4.30am, a man grabbed her from behind and groped her. On October 29th, a woman walking in Ranelagh was grabbed by a male attacker at about 3.30am. A resident saw what was happening and, as he approached, the man fled the scene.
The man being held last night was arrested yesterday morning at James Street, Dublin. He was being held at Terenure Garda station.
Meanwhile, gardaí in Store Street yesterday arrested a man for questioning in relation to the sexual assault of a woman in the early hours of Saturday, November 4th.
Gardaí want anybody who was on O'Connell Street or Parnell Street between 2am and 3am on November 4th to contact them at Store Street Garda station 01-6668000 or on the confidential line on 1800-666111.