On Tuesday, July 23rd, the French Police began an immediate investigation after an Australian woman informed them that she was brutally raped by 5 men while on her way home over the weekend in Paris. The tourist woman stated that she was raped by five after they discovered that she was disoriented and unable to speak a word of French. The incident is said to have happened in the early hours of Saturday morning.
The accused persons are believed to be African migrant men however, their identities have not been disclosed yet.
As per the reports, the woman was spotted outside Dounia, a Lebanese kebab store on Boulevard de Clichy near the Moulin Rouge, with her dress backwards and half torn. She complained to the shop’s workers, but she was unable to provide information about how or where the incident occurred.
After this, the firefighter workers took the woman to the hospital and the workers at the shop informed the police.
Reports mention that the victim was in Paris for the Fete de Musique music festival and was scheduled to fly home to Australia on Sunday, 21st July. The Paris Prosecutor’s Office stated that police are looking into the charges and are now examining CCTV evidence. “The investigation into the charge of gang rape likely to have been committed on the night of July 19 to 20 has been entrusted to the 2nd judicial police district,” the police said.
The Alliance Paris Police Union assured that the investigators would do everything possible to identify the individuals and bring them to justice quickly.
“Several investigation techniques will be implemented in conjunction with the technical and scientific police,” the authorities added.
The incident has created outrage in the city as it occurred just days before the 2024 Olympic Games begin in Paris. A large number of police and around 18000 soldiers have been deployed to ensure the safety of civilians, players, and journalists who will be arriving in the city for the games. As per the reports, up to 45,000 cops from 43 countries have been deployed in the city.
In the given case, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade released an exclusive statement to 7NEWS.com.au, saying they were ready to provide consular assistance to the victim. “The Australian Embassy in Paris is making urgent inquiries with French authorities following reports of an Australian citizen assaulted in Paris,” the spokesperson said.
Paris: Australian women raped brutally ahead of Olympics Games (opindia.com)