A robber held a knife to a woman’s neck before stabbing her hand and stealing her bag while she was waiting at an isolated bus stop.
The attack, which occurred at about 7.45pm on Saturday, took place while a group of young women and teenagers waited for a Bus Éireann bus at Blanchardstown Shopping Centre westbound slip road in Dublin.
It is understood the robber, who wore a bandana around his face, approached one of the group – a 20-year-old woman from Ratoath, Co Meath – with a knife and held it to her neck.
He stabbed the terrified woman in her hand before running away with her handbag.
A Garda investigation is now underway, but no arrests have been made to date.
“A female’s bag was taken from her at knife-point and she received a minor injury to her hand at the time of the robbery. Investigations are ongoing,” a Garda spokesperson said.
Fianna Fáil Meath East general election candidate Deirdre Geraghty-Smith described the bus stop where the attack took place as “notorious”.
“This is very disturbing and is something no one in the local community either expects or is prepared for. There have been increasing concerns raised by bus users about safety at this bus stop over the last number of months.
“It is isolated, in darkness and people awaiting buses are extremely vulnerable to opportunistic attacks. This attack should act as a spur to move this bus stop to a safer, more central location to ensure that commuters waiting for a bus can feel safe.”
A spokesperson for Bus Éireann told the Irish Independent that gardaí were responsible for dealing with anti-social behaviour. “Bus stop locations are also overseen by the National Transport Authority (NTA) and local authorities. Lighting in public areas such as bus stops is provided by local authorities,” they said.
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