‘FROZE’ WITH FEAR | 

Asylum seeker accused of sex assault on girl while she played kick the can in Dublin park

Brahim Maddi (39) is accused of kissing the young teenager’s thigh and touching her chest while she was sitting on the ground away from her pals

Today at 16:17

AN asylum seeker sexually assaulted a girl while she was out playing “kick the can” with friends in a Dublin park, it is alleged.

Brahim Maddi (39) is accused of kissing the young teenager’s thigh and touching her chest while she was sitting on the ground away from her pals.

The girl reported the alleged assault on Wednesday and Mr Maddi was arrested nearby, a court heard.

Judge Michele Finan refused him bail at Dublin District Court today and remanded in custody for the directions of the DPP to be given.

Mr Maddi, with an address at Belvedere Place, Dublin 1 is charged with sexual assault.

Detective Garda Laura Nulty of Protective Services Unit at Santry garda station said she charged the accused yesterday.

Objecting to bail, she said the girl was in a park in north Dublin, playing kick the can with her friends at around 4.30pm

She was sitting down near a tree hidden from view from her friends when the accused allegedly sat beside her and spoke to her.

It was alleged he leaned down and kissed her thigh, then began rubbing it in a circular motion.

She said she “froze” and he then touched her chest with palm out, moving his fingers occasionally.

She went to a cafe worker, told her what happened and she contacted the alleged victim’s parents.

The girl’s parents brought her to Santry garda station at 5.37pm and the gardai were given a description of the man.

Another garda went to the park and saw a man matching the description- the accused. He followed Mr Maddi to a nearby road where he was arrested.

Before his arrest, the accused initially told the gardai he had been lying on the ground when he “touched her chest and kissed her on the leg,” Det Gda Nulty said.

However, while detained he made no admissions to any offence but said he had been in the park that evening. CCTV showed him in the vicinity of the park after the alleged assault.

A file was being prepared for the DPP and gardai would be asking for the charge to be dealt with on indictment in the circuit court.

Gda Nulty said the accused had no family here or ties to this jurisdiction and there was a deportation order in force for him.

Gardai feared if granted bail the accused would interfere with the alleged victim in an attempt to prevent her from giving evidence.

The accused was an asylum seeker from Algeria with no support from family or friends here, his barrister Tara McLoughlin said.

He was presumed innocent and if refused bail, the case if contested could take a number of years to go to trial. Mr Maddi had been living in Ireland for four years and had no financial means.

He would abide by any bail conditions, Ms McLoughlin said.

Judge Finan said she believed the garda objections were made out and refused bail.

Mr Maddi was remanded in custody to appear in Cloverhill District Court on June 23, for the directions of the DPP.