Gardaí expect DNA results within two weeks that will determine whether claims made by a young Drogheda woman that she was raped after two couples were attacked by six men will result in criminal charges.

Senior garda sources say that the six Lithuanian men voluntarily gave DNA samples following their arrest after the altercation between the two groups in March at a beauty spot in the Townley Hall estate on the banks of the river Boyne, near Drogheda.

The woman claims she was raped by two of the Lithuanian men.

"We have an open mind as to whether or not this happened. The DNA results will be vital for this investigation, we have some results back but are looking for more and it's a long process," said one source.

Two couples, two young men and two women in their teens and 20s and all from Drogheda, said they were sitting in a car when they were approached by the gang at around 4am on 12 March. Gardaí were told that the gang used iron bars and sticks to attack the group, and that one of the women was dragged away from the car to a wooded area by two men where she was allegedly raped.

But following a lengthy investigation, gardaí say that "As far as we can determine, this group of men were having a few drinks with the two couples that night. They admit an altercation [occured] but completely deny any rape. They said there was no sex whatsoever," according to a source. "They quite happily gave DNA; it's all down to that now. It's a very live investigation. The men admitted being there with the two couples and admit there was an altercation. They admit defending themselves in an altercation so we have to wait and see how things progress."

The men were arrested shortly after the row between the two groups but were later released without charge and a file was sent to the DPP. Following this, there was intense media speculation that the men had fled Ireland. "We couldn't hold them in custody, the injured parties were indisposed. As far as I'm aware, they're still living locally. One of them left briefly I believe but he has returned now. Stories saying many of them left Ireland were simply untrue. We're confident we can find them if we need them even if they're not all here."

The young woman who was allegedly raped was taken to a sexual assault unit in a Dublin hospital for medical treatment, while the other three victims were also treated for injuries.

Christina Leslie (19), who did not claim to have been raped but had her jaw broken and sustained other injuries in the altercation, she said she was unhappy with the garda investigation. "We don't know what's going on with the gardaí. They've told us nothing, the gardaí. It was a terrible ordeal. I'm coping a bit better now," she told the Sunday Tribune.