Gardaí and Military Police officers are investigating a sexual assault allegation against a Defence Forces officer which is alleged to have happened on Saturday night.
A female drinking with the officer earlier in the evening was invited back to his accommodation in Dublin. After the alleged assault, the woman involved left the officer’s accommodation and contacted gardaí. She returned with gardaí and the officer was questioned.
At one point on Sunday, the place where the officer was staying was sealed off and searched by forensics and other scenes of crime officers. It is understood that Military Police officers are also involved in the investigation.
The Department of Defence and the Defence Forces press officer were both asked if an allegation of sexual assault by a woman against a man that is alleged to have taken place on Saturday night or into the early hours of Sunday morning is being investigated.
Gardaí were also asked for a comment.
A garda spokesperson said: “Gardaí received a report of an alleged assault that is reported to have occurred on Saturday 16th March 2024 in (an area of Dublin). Investigations into this incident are ongoing. No further information is available at this time.”
A Defence Forces spokesperson said: “The Defence Forces are aware of an incident and as it’s the subject of an investigation, it is inappropriate to comment.”
The incident is one of a number of allegations in recent years against serving Defence Forces personnel being investigated by either gardaí or Military Police. Allegations of bullying are among allegations being investigated, as well as rape and sexual assault.
One of the sexual assaults that has been probed in recent weeks includes the alleged oral rape of a serving soldier and it is due to be the subject of legal action in the coming months.
Other allegations include a number against a serving Non Commissioned Officer (NCO) who allegedly ordered junior soldiers to fight each other after he returned from a pub with a loaded pistol. It is also alleged that soldiers who refused to fight were placed in munitions cages.
Earlier this month, it was revealed that a senior male officer in a branch of the Defence Forces was being investigated about alleged inappropriate behaviour towards a female colleague.
A military police investigation was launched arising out of a formal complaint about the alleged incident, which is understood to have occurred while both were representing the service overseas.
As of September last year, there have been seven allegations of sexual assault, one of sexual harassment, one of indecent exposure, and 12 of inappropriate behaviour in the 2020s so far.
The figures don’t include the number of allegations made directly to gardaí against serving Defence Forces personnel.
The State has paid out more than €10m in legal settlements of claims against the Defence Forces in the last four years but faces paying many times that amount in the coming years.
This is because, as the Irish Examiner revealed earlier this month, there are a total of 482 current and “open” cases against the Defence Forces. These include personal injury claims and judicial reviews.
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