An Australian woman has reportedly been gangraped by five men in French capital Paris which is set to host the Olympics 2024 this week. French police are investigating the alleged incident.
According to French and Australian media reports, the 25-year-old tourist was reported to police after being found in a disheveled state and pleading for help in a kebab shop. She complained that five men had sexually assaulted her in the early morning of Saturday (July 23).
Australian woman ‘gangrape’ incident: What we know so far
The incident happened on Boulevard de Clichy in Paris’ 18th arrondissement.
News Australia reported citing CCTV footage that the woman tourist was “disoriented” and unable to speak French when she appeared at the kebab shop seeking help. The partially blurred footage purportedly shows the woman complaining about the assault. Some staff members and diners at the shop were seen comforting her.
Moments later, a man, one of the alleged attackers, appears in the kebab shop and another man slaps him asking about the assault. The first man quickly flees the scene, and is still at large, according to News.com.
The report said the woman was inebriated at the time of the assault and was supposed to leave for Australia this past weekend.
CCTV showed her crying and pleading for help while another woman and the shop owners tried to calm her down.
The News report said her dress was “backwards” and partially torn off. She was later taken to Bichat hospital.
“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,” said the Paris prosecutor’s office as cited by Le Parisien.
A female staffer at the kebab shop said she could not stop crying after the incident, which she described as sad, while speaking to Australia’s 7News.
The incident happened even as security is tight ahead of the Paris Olympics. The event will start on July 24.
(With inputs from agencies)