Eight arrests after woman attacked, held against her will

Gardaí are questioning seven men and a teenager in connection with a violent attack on a woman at an apartment in Dublin's north inner city.

The woman, who is in her 30s, was held against her will, and seriously injured.

She is being treated in hospital for severe, but non-life threatening injuries.

Gardaí were targeting a drug dealing gang when they raided the apartment off Bolton Street at around 7pm last night.

They found the woman seriously injured in the apartment.

She had been severely beaten, scalded and some of her hair had been pulled out.

Eight males were there, seven men, between the ages of 20 and 54, and a 16-year-old boy.

They were arrested and are being detained at various garda stations.

They had their periods of detention extended today and can be questioned for a total of 24 hours.

They are known to the gardaí as part of a north inner city drug dealing gang, which also has connections in Ballymun and Santry.

Gardaí at Bridewell Garda Station are investigating.

The woman is being treated at the Mater Hospital.

Gardaí believe the attack is connected to a drugs debt, one that may not be connected to the victim, but to an associate of the woman.

Garda Headquarters said this evening that gardaí in Bridewell arrested eight males in relation to an investigation into alleged false imprisonment of a woman at a property in Bolton Street,

The eight males are detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984.