Schoolgirl groped by man (27) who sat beside her on bus

A man sexually assaulted a 14-year-old schoolgirl who was sitting alone on a Dublin bus by rubbing her leg and trying to put his hand up her skirt.

Vimalkarthick Balasubramaniam (27) sat beside the victim and concealed his hand with a bag before touching her inappropriately, a court heard.

The case was adjourned for a victim-impact statement when he appeared in Blanchardstown District Court.

The accused, of St Helen’s Drive, Adamstown, pleaded guilty to sexual assault.

Garda James Byrne told Judge David McHugh the girl was getting a bus home from the city centre on the afternoon of April 26 last year when a “lone male” unknown to her got on and sat next to her.

Balasubramaniam placed his right hand on the girl’s left thigh and rubbed her leg with his thumb, under her school skirt. The girl believed this to be intentional and told her family when she went home.

The girl and her mother then went to a garda station and she reported she had been touched inappropriately.

The victim told a specialist garda interviewer the accused had placed a bag on his lap which covered his hand and she felt movement on her leg. His whole hand was there but she felt his finger rubbing and said he tried to put his hand up her skirt above the knee.

She gave gardaí a description of the accused, who was later identified and charged.

Gda Byrne said the DPP consented to the case being dealt with at district court level and Judge McHugh accepted jurisdiction after hearing the outline of the evidence.

Defence solicitor Kate McGhee said her client wanted to pay compensation and have the case dealt with. He had lost his job, was in financial difficulty and the money available was “dissipating as we speak”, she added.

Balasubramaniam was remanded on continuing bail to appear in court again on a date next month.

The judge said he would finalise the case after hearing any victim-impact evidence.