First picture of mystery teenage girl feared victim of sex trafficking found wandering streets
mirror.co.uk
Police have released a picture of the girl, aged between 14
and 16, who has communicated by drawing pictures which appear to show
her being raped
Mystery: The picture of the girl released today
This is the mystery teenage girl found wandering the streets of Dublin who police fear may be the victim of sex trafficking.
Detectives
have taken the unprecedented step of publishing a photograph of the
child, who is believed to be between 14 and 16 years old.
Despite
several weeks of investigation, and following 115 lines of inquiry,
detectives in Ireland remain baffled about the identity of the young
girl.
The girl was found on Dublin's O'Connell Street - the Irish
capital's main shopping thoroughfare - in a dazed state by gardai on a
routine afternoon patrol on October 10.
She was taken into care
and was initially unable to speak to officers. Instead, she communicated
with them by drawing images, which appeared to show her being raped.
Superintendent
Dave Taylor said: "This investigation has involved over 2,000 hours,
engaging with all the relevant authorities and all the relevant
specialists in this area, but unfortunately we have been unable to
identify her.
"At the moment we need to find out who this child is."
The girl is described as being 5ft 6in and of slim build with long blonde hair.
She was wearing a purple hooded top, tight dark-coloured jeans, flat black shoes and a grey woollen jumper when found.
It is believed the clothes were bought in major Irish retailers but detectives could not determine when they were purchased.
The
girl also has a brace but paediatric orthodontists contacted in Ireland
were unable to shed any light on her identity through their records.
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Gardai have set up an investigation codenamed Operation Shepard in attempt to establish the girl's identity.
A
dedicated telephone line and email address is being manned by officers
for any information from the public which can help the inquiry.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the team in Dublin on +353 1 666 8100 or by email at storestreetappealgarda.ie.
In
a move never before undertaken, the force went to the High Court last
week to seek permission under the Child Care Act to release a photograph
of the girl.
Lawyers argued that it was in extraordinary circumstances after the investigation "hit a brick wall".
Mr
Taylor said the girl was being well treated under an interim care order
by the Health Service Executive (HSE) and Ireland health authorities.
"Obviously we have concerns as to her welfare," he said.
"She
was found in a distressed state, she is being cared for very well at
the moment by professionals but obviously we're at an impasse at the
moment.
"We can't identify her."
The investigation team has
called in Interpol, the missing persons bureau, the forensic science
laboratory, the domestic violence and sexual assault unit and national
immigration authorities.
They have also trawled city centre CCTV
footage, contacted social services and homeless shelters, bed and
breakfasts, hostels as well as airports and ports throughout the
country.
Detectives came up with 15 possible names for their girl through their inquiries but they were "fully checked" and led nowhere.
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