A British tourist was allegedly raped by a police officer in France. The victim was reportedly handcuffed in the back of a police vehicle when the attack happened.
The woman, 37, said three police officers picked her up on a street in Aubagne, a town near Marseille, and detained her for “obvious drunkenness”. After getting inside the police car, one of the officers allegedly sat next to her and kissed her. He then reportedly “penetrated her”.
As reported by The Sun, one officer has been charged with rape and sexual assault by a person abusing the authority conferred on them by their position. He remains in police custody.
Meanwhile, a second officer was charged with willful failure to prevent a crime or offense against the integrity of a person. He was placed under judicial supervision while a third has been put under assisted witness status.
French paper Libération was notified of the alleged attack by public prosecutor Nicolas Bessone. The arrests were made last Friday (September 12).
It comes after a woman was allegedly dragged into the bushes and raped in front of the Eiffel Tower. The suspect, a boy believed to be from Libya, reportedly attacked the 32-year-old victim, from Ukraine, during the early hours of the morning on August 26.
Rachida Dati, the Minister of Culture of France, previously said that “sexual assaults, not to mention rapes” took place “every day” on the Champ-de-Mars in Paris. She added that the large green area, which is located near the Eiffel Tower, suffered from “under-equipment.”
The Paris police headquarters told Le Parisien: “In 2024, the police headquarters recorded one rape in the Champ-de-Mars area, compared to five in 2023, and seven sexual assaults, compared to nine in 2023.” This included one rape and seven sexual assaults in 2024.
Earlier this summer, a cryptocurrency tycoon was almost snatched by three men on May 13. A camera caught the alleged kidnappers trying to bundle the 34-year-old woman and her two-year-old child into a van in Paris.
In June, around 140 people reported being stabbed with syringes during a French street festival. Local reports said 12 people were arrested with some of the victims requiring hospital treatment.