GARDAI in Crumlin are confident they will identify at least one of the two men involved in the rape of a young mother in Drimnagh on Tuesday night.
A search for the men has been going on since the attack in which the 17 year-old victim was dragged from a pedestrian laneway while walking with her baby in a pram.
The infant, less than a year old was left in the pram while the woman was attacked. One man is alleged to have sexually assaulted her while the other raped her.
Ms Olive Braiden of the Rape Crisis Centre said it was a "frightening" attack but fitted a pattern of increased assaults and rapes of women and children.
"It is frightening to think that a young mother going for a walk with her child cannot be sure she will not be assaulted. It is dreadful to think you are not safe in the area where you live."
Gardai investigating the crime said it was a "vicious attack" but they were making good progress in the early stages of the investigation.
One of the assailants is described as being about 6 ft 2 in, skinny and in his mid 20s. He has blond, streaky hair and a black moustache. His teeth were said to have been in bad condition with his top front tooth missing. He was wearing a plain red tracksuit, black jeans with white paint marks, and black and white runners.
He was said to have a scar on the side of his face and another on his nose. He also wore an earring of a cross in his left ear and spoke with a strong Dublin accent.
The description of the second man is less detailed. He is about 5 ft 11 in and 30 years of age. He is said to have dark, short hair and rough skinned hands.
The young woman was taking a popular shortcut through Lansdowne Valley at about 7.45 p.m. on Tuesday when the attack took place. She was dragged away from her baby and pram and raped on nearby waste ground.
Gardai described the rape as "horrendous", saying that one of the men held the teenager down and molested her while the other carried out the rape.
Detectives under Supt John McLoughlin and Det Insp Tom Mulligan are making inquiries in the area between the Naas Road and Drimnagh.
They are appealing for witnesses and hope someone coming home from work at that time may have seen the assailants.
Gardai hope to have a photofit of the men later today.