An Australian woman visiting Paris ahead of the Olympics was “gang raped by five men” in the French capital.
The 25-year-old told officers that she had to flee to a nearby kebab shop to escape the gang, with her dress twisted backwards and “partially” torn off.
She claimed that she had been attacked by the quintet at around 5am on Saturday and that the group had also stolen her phone.
Seeking refuge in the Dounia, a Lebanese eatery near the Moulin rouge cabaret theatre, the woman was described as “disoriented and unable to speak a word of French”.
The woman was then taken to Bichat Hospital after the owners of the kebab shop called emergency services.
CCTV footage shows the woman walking into the shop after the claimed incident, asking for the owners whilst staff and customers tried to comfort her.
A man then walks in and the 25-year-old gestures that he was one of the gang who allegedly attacked her. He later walks past her and taps her on the shoulder.
A customer then picked up a chair and swung it at the man, with staff having to intervene to break it up. The man then leaves the Lebanese restaurant.
The 25-year-old was due to fly back home to Australia the day after the alleged assault, according to 2GB’s Olympics reporter Clinton Maynard.
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Upon entering the shop, the man went over to the woman and tapped her on the shoulder
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A fight broke out between the man and a diner
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It is understood that she had been in the French capital to attend the Fete de Musique music festival.
The Paris Prosecutor’s Office has launched an investigation into the alleged attack and will inspect CCTV in the area.
They said in a statement: “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 second judicial police district.”
Alliance Paris Police Union added that investigators will “do everything to quickly identify the individuals and bring them to justice”.
“Several investigation techniques will be implemented in conjunction with the technical and scientific police.”
Ahead of the upcoming Olympic Games, which commences on Friday with an opening ceremony, police in the French capital have launched a major security operation.
The woman was attended to by staff, customers and later police
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The woman stumbled into Dounia, a Lebanese kebab shop after the alleged attack
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Paris 2024 is set to become the most guarded Games ever, with approximately 45,000 police officers being drafted in from 43 countries.
Some 18,000 soldiers have also been deployed, as hundreds of thousands of people descend on the city for the sporting event, which runs from July 26 to August 11.
Alongside the huge security teams, a number of aerial units, comprising of Rafale fighter jets, AWACS surveillance flights, Reaper surveillance drones and helicopters, will also be in operation.