Man questioned over alleged indecent assault of child

A man in his 20s is still being questioned about an alleged indecent assault on a child in Co Dublin.

The attack is alleged to have taken place in Saggart.

Gardaí are still trying to establish the facts of what happened and specialists child interviewers are waiting to interview the young girl who is in the care of Tusla.

Tusla confirmed last night that a young girl was involved in a serious incident over the weekend.

The agency said she was living in a fully staffed, registered residential placement when she absconded while on a planned recreational trip with staff in the city centre.

Staff immediately reported her missing to gardaí.

The child was later found to have returned to a relative's home, but absconded again from that house later in the evening.

She remained in phone contact with staff but would not identify her precise location.

She subsequently told staff that she been had involved in a serious incident and they eventually ascertained her location and contacted gardaí who found her.

Gardaí commenced a criminal investigation and a man in his 20s was arrested on suspicion of indecently assaulting the child.

He is still being detained at a Garda station in Dublin under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act and can be questioned for up to 24 hours.

Gardaí are still trying to establish the facts of the alleged incident.

Two locations near the City West complex were sealed off for forensic examination, but both cordons have now been lifted.

CCTV has also been gathered in the area and from the nearby Luas stop.

The child has also received medical attention

Tusla said its priority is on supporting the young girl and her family and liaising with An Garda Síochána as part of their investigation.

It also said it would not be appropriate to share any further details at this time.