Arrest made in Ferbane abduction attempt case

A man in his 40s has been arrested in relation to the attempted abduction of a 13 year old girl near Ferbane last week. The man was arrested during the early hours of yesterday (Thursday) morning. The Offaly Independent has learned detectives connected to Birr Garda Station made the arrest in the Tramore area of Co. Waterford at approximately 3am on Thursday morning (July 28). After being arrested the man was brought the Tullamore Garda Station where yesterday afternoon he was being detained for questioning under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984. Detainees being questioned under the act can be kept for up to 24 hours, but questioning can be halted overnight for sleep breaks and the period of detainment in effect lengthened. The abduction attempt took place on Tuesday, July 19, at approximately 8.30pm in the evening two kilometres the Belmont side of Ferbane in the townland of Moyclare. According to Gardaí a middle-aged driver tried to pull the 13 year old girl into the back of a white car/van after stopping and engaging her in conversation. The girl was cycling just 500 metres from her own home to her friend's house at the time and after a brief struggle with the driver of the van managed to escape to a nearby house and raise the alarm as the van drove off in the direction of Ferbane. At the time of going to press yesterday evening the arrested man was still being detained in Tullamore Garda Station and no charges had been brought.