Call for witnesses after serious sexual assault on woman 

Detectives are investigating the report of a serious sexual assault on a woman in the Castleblaney Street area of Newtownhamilton yesterday, Thursday 15 August.

Speaking to Newry Times, Detective Inspector Leah Crothers said, “We received the report yesterday afternoon, just after 2pm, that a female had been assaulted by a male in a house in the Castleblaney Street area. 

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“She subsequently ran from the house and, in a distressed state, was comforted by local people who contacted police.’’

A 38-year-old man has since been arrested on suspicion of rape and threats to kill.

He remains in police custody, assisting with enquiries.

“Our enquiries are continuing and we are appealing to anyone with information to contact us on 101, quoting reference number 945 of 15/08/19.

“We would like to thank the local community who came to the aid of the victim,” she added.

Sinn Féin Councillor Barra Ó Muirí condemned the serious assault.

The local Councillor said that the circumstances involved had shocked many.

“Even though the assault took place in a house on Castleblayney Street, the victim ended up in Dundalk Street desperately fleeing her assailant,” he told Newry Times.

“The young woman had recently arrived in Newtown from Eastern Europe and had been staying in the property on Castleblayney Street until she was attacked.

“The victim was eventually taken to hospital, while the assailant was swiftly placed under arrest.”

Councillor Ó Muirí praised the resilience of the residents of Newtown, and in particular the family on Dundalk Street who were kept from their home until after 8 pm on Thursday when the Serious Crime Unit were finished examining the scene.

The local Councillor said that the incident had further heightened concerns within the area. “Many Newtown residents are constantly on edge, unsure of who their neighbours are, and extremely worried about issues such as drug use, assault and allegations of human trafficking.

He added, “All agencies involved must continue to work with myself and community activists to ensure that the fears of this community are allayed.”

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Posted by NewryTimes News on Aug 16 2019. Filed under Community, News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry