ABDEL DULKUMONI OFFENDER IN DUBLIN PLEMAL: SCHOOLGIRL GROPED FOUR TIMES AND FOLLOWED OFF BUS

In March 2019, a teenage schoolgirl was subjected to a disturbing incident on a Dublin bus, where she was groped four times and subsequently followed off the vehicle. The offender, Abdel Dulkumoni, a 32-year-old man residing on Walkinstown Drive in Walkinstown, sexually assaulted the girl, leading to lasting trauma.

The court heard that Dulkumoni stood behind the girl during the bus journey, which began on Dame Street as she traveled southwest. He inappropriately touched her bottom on four separate occasions when the bus either stopped or jerked forward. After the bus reached a stop not in his usual area of Walkinstown, Dulkumoni disembarked at the same stop as the girl and engaged her in an inappropriate conversation, making remarks about her appearance.

The victim shared in her court statement that she has experienced panic attacks since the incident. One attack occurred shortly after on the Luas tram, and another happened in her bedroom near Christmas, triggered by thoughts of the assault. She expressed fear of using public transportation alone, stating, “I am afraid to get on public transport by myself after the incident; I always bring a friend or family member with me. If they can’t come, I need to be dropped and collected.” She also said, “I’m always looking around me when I’m in public now, I’m more cautious,” and described feeling “freaked out” if strangers speak to her or bump into her.

The court noted that Dulkumoni has been in Ireland for around ten years with his wife and extended family, with no children. He is employed as a barber in Tallaght and previously worked in Abbey Street. Despite giving an explanation for his actions, his defence solicitor, Donal Quigley, stated that it was not accepted.

In her victim impact statement read aloud by the garda, the girl detailed the emotional toll the incident had taken on her. She said, “It has had a big effect on my social life and it has knocked my confidence. I stay at home a lot more than I would have, and I also don’t trust strangers as much. It has also affected my studies because I’m in my Leaving Cert year and have a court case to deal with. It has been very stressful.”

Judge Brian O’Shea found Dulkumoni guilty but chose not to send him to prison, sentencing him to a two-month term suspended for two years and registering him as a sex offender for five years. The judge noted that while the offence was at the lower end in severity, the victim’s age was an aggravating factor. He observed that Dulkumoni showed no remorse or apology, and highlighted the victim’s struggles with her education due to trauma. She had been required to give evidence via video link and appeared visibly upset during her testimony.

Finally, the judge emphasized that, given her youth, the victim is more likely to recover fully from the experience, despite the challenges she currently faces, including a limited cross-examination which he felt was not sufficiently rigorous.