Gardaí speak to teenage boy over alleged rape of girl (15)

GARDAÍ investigating the alleged rape of a teenage girl at a playground have spoken to a teenage boy in relation to the incident.

The 15-year-old girl was in the company of a small group of friends in Charlestown, Co Mayo, on Saturday afternoon when they were approached by three young males who had travelled there from another town in the south of the county.

It is understood the two groups were not known to each other beyond limited contact on social media before Saturday.

The girl is said to be deeply traumatised by the incident but both she and her friends are expected to give a full statement to gardaí in the coming days.

Gardaí have not yet made an arrest but a source confirmed they have spoken to one young male who is the focus of the investigation.

The alleged attack is reported to have happened at a playground in the Lowpark area of the town.

Witnesses are believed to have been able to give gardaí a clear description of a black car that was seen in the area at the time. Yesterday, detectives carried out door-to-door enquiries and canvassed CCTV footage from businesses.

Locals were said to be “deeply shocked and angry”, with one describing the attitude in the town as one of “collective horror”.

“It’s very hard to know what to say but it’s a terrible situation for the girl and her friends,” the person said. “They are a lovely group of girls, so it’s just awful. We are praying for them and their parents.”

Locals were said to be ‘deeply shocked and angry’