A twenty-five-year-old Australian lady was sexually assaulted by a gang in the early hours of Saturday morning in Paris' Pigalle neighbourhood. According to Daily Mail, the event happened a few days before the 2024 Summer Olympics opening ceremony.
At about five in the morning, the woman, who had spent the evening in pubs and clubs close to the Moulin Rouge, was attacked by a gang of five guys who were referred to as 'of African appearance'. After escaping, she took sanctuary at the Dounia kebab shop located on Boulevard de Clichy.
The upset woman can be seen entering and begging for assistance on security footage from the kebab business. Until a guy entered the business who she recognised as one of her assailants, she was consoled by both workers and customers. After giving her a quick slap on the back and placing an order for dinner, the man walked over to face another diner. Staff broke up the altercation, and the claimed assailant fled the scene.
Shortly after, police arrived, talked with the woman, and brought her to the hospital in Bichat. It is anticipated that the video will be extremely important to the inquiry.
The attack is the subject of a significant investigation by French authorities. The Paris Prosecutor's Office has acknowledged a judicial investigation regarding the gang rape claim; no arrests have been made. It is also stated that during the attack, the woman's phone was taken.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is ready to offer consular support, and the Australian Embassy in Paris maintains communication with French authorities.
As Paris gets ready for the surge of tourists for the Olympics, security worries have increased in the wake of the assault. There is now more attention focused on the Boulevard de Clichy, which is close to the Stade de France, the site of the opening ceremony, and situated in Paris's red-light district.
With the deployment of extra security measures like metal barricades and aerial units, in addition to the presence of 18,000 troops and 45,000 police officers, Parisian authorities are stepping up their efforts to guarantee the safety of foreign tourists. The French government does not have enough security personnel, nevertheless. France has asked other nations, including England and Qatar, for security support.
This event comes after a string of recent rapes that have occurred in Paris, such as the attack on a British woman in June at the Fête de la Musique and the rape of a 12-year-old Jewish child in a district called Hauts-de-Seine. In January, during Fashion Week, an American woman was also sexually assaulted.
Immigrants were allegedly responsible for the majority of the instances. The number of crimes against women and other forms of public disturbance in France has increased as a result of the country's immigration crisis from Africa and the Middle East.
These occurrences have prompted worries about the safety of tourists and city dwellers despite heightened police presence and security measures ahead of the Olympics. Authorities are still looking for the culprits of the most recent incident and trying to identify and apprehend them.
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