Gardai are investigating an assault on a young woman in the Midlands in the early hours of yesterday morning.

However, sources have indicated that investigators have not discovered anything to link the attack to five violent assaults in Athlone since August of last year.

Yesterday's attack took place on the outskirts of Moate between about 2am and 2.30am in an area adjacent to the town's main thoroughfare. Gardai said the woman who was attacked was 19 years of age, but declined to reveal the full circumstances of the attack. "We are still gathering evidence but, at the moment, we don't think there is anything to link the attack to the assaults in Athlone," one source said.

"It took place in an area called Newtown, which is off the main thoroughfare but is not a rural area."

Earlier this month, up to 50 women and some men gathered outside Athlone Institute of Technology (AIT) to highlight the fact that women in the town felt they were under curfew while a suspected serial sex attacker remained at large.

Four of the five attacks took place along a short stretch of road that was walked by the demonstrators.

"It's a travesty that people are not feeling safe, it's like women are on a curfew and have to be home by a certain time," organiser Liz Shiel said. "There's a lot of young girls in Athlone. They're in college for a great experience, to study and socialise with their peers, and they are in fear."

By jason O'Brien, Independent

More story at-http://www.independent.ie/national-news/gardai-investigate-attack-on-teen-girl-1511225.html

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