The alleged assault is understood to have happened years before he joined the gardai

06:00, 01 Jan 2026Updated 11:40, 01 Jan 20

Young Dublin based garda arrested as part of probe into serious sexual assault

The alleged assault is understood to have happened years before he joined the gardai

Michael O’Toole

06:00, 01 Jan 2026Updated 11:40, 01 Jan 2026

A young garda has been arrested – after he was accused of serious sexual assault.

Dublin Live has also learned the officer has now been suspended as part of the probe in to the alleged incident, which stretches back almost a decade. The suspect, who is based in the Dublin region and has less than five years’ service, was suspended following his arrest at the start of last month.

Sources have told us the alleged serious sexual assault happened years before he joined the Garda. “This relates to an incident when both he and the injured party were juveniles,” a source told us.

Sources told us the complainant came forward to officers in the last 12 months – and that was only when they learned that the suspect had joined the force. A complaint was made to a Garda Divisional Protective Services Unit in the Eastern Region – which is outside the area where the Dublin-based officer is stationed.

That unit carried out an initial investigation into the allegation – and arrested the officer. He was questioned in a Garda station in the south of the city for several hours, before being released without charge.

That investigation is ongoing – but the officer was then suspended. Sources say it is likely to be several months before the officer learns if he is to be charged – or has his suspension lifted.

Senior officers confirmed to us that a member of the force has been suspended as part of an investigation. In a statement, a spokesman said: “A male was arrested in the Dublin Region in early December in connection with an alleged assault investigation being carried out by Gardaí in the Garda Eastern Region. A member of An Garda Síochána in the Dublin Region has been suspended in connection with this investigation.”

News of the investigation came as it emerged 35 serving officers had been suspended up to the start of last month – a figure that does not include this officer. Some 11 suspensions were lifted in the same period, but a total of 104 officers remain suspended in cases going back as far as 2019.

That includes 14 suspended for alleged sexual assault or misconduct. Another 16 are suspended for allegedly drink or drugs driving.