It is understood that the Police took almost an hour to respond to three 999 calls. The father of one of the girls has also raised concerns about how the Police have investigated this sexual assault. The case is now being examined by the Police Ombudsman.
Judith Cochrane MLA said: “Hearing a story like this is very worrying. The lack of response, it seems, from the Police, is far from satisfactory and extremely concerning
“I am pleased that the Police are now answering some of the questions which have been raised about the handling of this case.
“I will be meeting the Police on Friday, along with my colleague Chris Lyttle MLA, to hear what action is being taken to maintain child safety in East Belfast. We have offered our assistance to the parents who have raised these concerns and will endeavour to ensure that all the families involved get all the support and information they require from the Police.
“A very dangerous individual remains on our streets; he must be urgently apprehended by the PSNI. If anybody has any information about this incident then they must contact the Police.”
ENDS