In France, there have been 145 calls to the police regarding syringe attacks during the annual Fête de la Musique music festival. The police have already detained 12 suspects, an investigation has been opened. About this informs The Guardian.
On June 21, millions of people took part in celebrations across the country. In Paris, according to local authorities, the number of participants was “unprecedented”. Before the start of the festival, some activists warned about the appearance in social networks of calls for attacks on women with syringes. The authors of these messages are currently unknown.
France’s interior ministry confirmed 145 attacks across the country. In Paris, the police recorded 13 such incidents. Some of the victims were hospitalized for toxicological tests. So far, it has not been established whether the so-called “rape shots” are in question – injections of narcotic substances that can be used to commit crimes.
At least three cases are being investigated in the capital, the victims of which were, in particular, a 15-year-old girl and an 18-year-old boy. According to the prosecutor’s office, all the victims complained of feeling bad after the injection.
In total, the police detained 12 people. Four of them are residents of Angouleme, who are suspected of carrying out up to 50 attacks. Two more men were detained in Metz: one was found with a syringe, the other was recognized by the victim. According to the prosecutor’s office, some of the victims are minors. One of the detainees, a 20-year-old man, already had convictions for violent acts. Similar cases were also reported from Evreux, Rouen, Tours and other cities.
Similar incidents took place during the Fête de la Musique in 2022. At the time, according to Agence France-Presse, police reported that syringe marks usually appeared on the arms, back or buttocks, and victims often did not see who injected them.
