A woman was allegedly dragged into the bushes and raped in front of the Eiffel Tower. A boy, who is believed to be from Libya, has been arrested following the reported attack in the early hours of Tuesday morning (August 26).
The suspect reportedly dragged the 32-year-old victim, from Ukraine, behind a bush before raping her at around 2.40am. The woman screamed before local police officers rushed to the scene and arrested the boy. According to French media site Le Parisien, the boy, who is reportedly 17, was drunk at the time of the attack.
While his identity is yet to be confirmed, he is believed to be from Libya and 17-years-old. The prosecutor’s office said: “His identity is currently being verified.”
Around six million people visit the Eiffel Tower every year. However, Paris has been the location for a number of serious crimes in recent times, including an attempted kidnap earlier this summer.
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.”
As reported by the Daily Mail, 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.
