Man hunted after German student raped on walk home

A YOUNG German student was brutally raped as she walked home after a night out.

The attack happened in the Christchurch area of Dublin’s south inner city at around 3.30am on Sunday.

The victim, who is said to be “extremely traumatised” by her ordeal, is in her 20s.

She has since returned back to her native country, where she is being comforted by family and friends, according to sources.

The young woman has told gardaí that she was attacked in a lane off Winetavern Street after earlier socialising at a pub in the north city.

It is understood that she was assaulted as she walked home by a “random stranger” who gardaí believe to have been an Irish national.

After she was raped, the disorientated woman made her way to the Civic Offices at Wood Quay.

It was from here that she made a panicked 999 call and gardaí arrived at the scene to assist her.

The case is being investigated by gardaí based at Kevin Street garda station.

There has been no arrest so far and no description of the attacker has been released by investigating officers.

It is understood that they are sifting through hours of CCTV footage as part of their detailed investigation.

“The allegation of rape is being treated as completely credible and a full investigation is now under way,” a source said.

It is understood the young woman was seen by staff at the Dublin Sexual Assault Treatment Unit in the Rotunda Hospital and she has given gardaí a full statement.

There have been a number of instances of foreign students being raped and sexually assaulted in Dublin in recent times.

Last month, Eoin Berkley (25) from Finglas was jailed for 14 years after he admitted abducting a teenage Spanish student from Dublin city centre and raping her repeatedly over a 21-hour period in the Ringsend area in July of last year.

In February, Ibrahim Ahmed Gharib (39) was jailed for 10 years for raping a 27-year-old foreign student in the hall of her Carlow home after following her from a bus they had shared from Dublin.

He also sexually assaulted her during the journey.

The attacker was a ‘random stranger’ believed to be Irish