British lady gang-raped in Paris ‘could have been filmed’, police concern

The gang rape of a young British woman during an annual street music festival in central Paris may have been filmed by her attackers, investigators fear.

The tourist was found crying as she stumbled through the streets of Paris’ 1st arrondissement in the early hours of Saturday morning after she was attacked and subsequently robbed, according to a police source.

She was clutching her underwear in a state of significant distress hours after leaving a concert at the Olympia hall – one of hundreds of events held across France on June 21 to mark the ‘Fête de la Musique’ – known as ‘Make Music Day’ in English.

The victim – who cannot be named for legal reasons – was picked up by police and firefighters and taken to the Cochin hospital to undergo medical examinations.

She later told police she was accosted by several men and pulled to a secluded area where they raped her and stole her phone, according to Le Figaro.

Police have now said they fear that the attack may have been recorded during the assault, which follows similar attacks at the event – one that has become notorious with violent crime and a lack of policing.

Thousands of people were on the streets, many of them drinking heavily, as they listened to bands and individual singers overnight between Friday and Saturday.

As of Monday morning the woman is still in the hospital, in the centre of the city.

‘The attack happened around the Châtelet-Les Halles forum in the early hours of Saturday morning,’ said an investigating source, referring to the shopping and arts complex.

‘She was walking back from a concert at the Olympia music venue and says she was approached by a group of men.

‘They surrounded her, and attacked her, and the fear is that they recorded their actions using their mobile phones.’

The woman’s own phone was stolen by the men, who are thought to have been wearing hoodies so as to hide their identities.

The victim was found by the police and firefighters at around 7am on Saturday, when she provided a witness statement.

There was a similar gang rape at the Fête de la Musique in 2021, when a woman was surrounded in a street close to the Champs Élysées.

Within a day, a video of the attack was circulating on social media, and it was used as evidence to try and find the rapists. Despite numerous appeals, they have not been found, however, and the case remains active.

There have been no arrests made in the latest gang rape case, said the same source, but CCTV was being examined for clues.

There were multiple alleged crimes committed at Friday night’s Fête de la Musique, including an alleged attempted murder. 

The shocking rape comes as five teenage girls were injected with an unknown substance as they attended another Make Music Day event in the Saint-Maur-des-Fossés suburb of Paris. 

The girls, aged 13-17, told aid workers at the event they were dancing in the crowd when they felt stings in their arms.

Each of them quickly began exhibiting symptoms that included dizziness and nausea, headaches and fever, witnesses at the scene told Le Parisien. 

Three of the girls reportedly sported marks on their left arm that suggested they had been pierced by a needle. 

But police were unable to make any arrests, with some 10,000 attending the event in the Parisian suburb. 

Two men were stopped for an on-site search by officers but were later released after the police were unable to find any paraphernalia or other evidence linking them to the spiking. 

Mayor of Saint-Maur Sylvain Berrios, who also attended the festival, admitted to Le Parisien that such incidents constitute ‘an extremely painful phenomenon’ that is ‘difficult to stop’. 

Berrios said security had been greatly reinforced on site and authorities had installed a series of CCTV cameras to create a live security feed to the municipal police’s surveillance centre, which he hoped would aid investigators in finding suspects. 

Celebrated on June 21 every year since 1982, France’s ‘Make Music Day’ sees musicians and performers from around the world perform at hundreds of concerts and events across the country.

As well as concerts featuring world renowned artists, amateur musicians are encouraged to take to the streets and public squares to hold impromptu concerts – and the tradition has since spread to other countries. 

But the joyous events often also play host to violence. 

Another incident at third Make Music location in the French capital saw several people hurt and one person seriously injured after a brawl broke out between two soldiers in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Five people were hurt and one sustained serious injuries in the fight, which reportedly involved a blade, Le Figaro reported. 

Police managed to break up the conflict which involved six people, according to one source, and the injured were taken to hospitals. 

Three men were later arrested as investigations continue. 

An investigation into ‘attempted intentional murder has been entrusted to the 14th arrondissement police station,’ said a spokesman.

‘He said ‘six people had to be separated,’ and ‘five of them were wounded, one seriously, who was hospitalised. 

There are frequent complaints about the lack of policing at the Fête de la Musique, which is always attended by thousands of tourists, including many from Britain.

It extends across most of the city, and there are frequent complaints about disorder, vandalism and littering.

Despite this, local councils allow it to continue, with police being ordered to keep a low profile so as not to spoil the liberal atmosphere. In 2023, there were 93 rapes committed in public places in Paris, compared to 92 in 2022.