Latest news with #FrançoisGrosdidier
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Yahoo
Syringe attacks during France's music street festival leave 145 jabbed and several hospitalised
French police have detained 12 suspects after nearly 150 people reported being assaulted with syringes across France during its annual "Fête de la Musique" summer festival. The outdoor festival took place all over France last Saturday, with authorities reporting "unprecedented crowds" in Paris. The Interior Ministry said that 145 people nationwide had reported being stabbed with needles, with Paris police reporting 13 cases in the capital. Upwards of a dozen women and underaged girls have been hospitalised. 'The ministry is taking this very seriously,' a spokeswoman from the Interior Ministry stated. "Some victims were taken to hospital for toxicological tests and the investigation is ongoing," the ministry added. Officials have yet to say if these were cases of needle spiking with date-rape drugs such as Rohypnol or GHB, but the drugs rendered victims confused and vulnerable to sexual assault. Ahead of the festival, influencers like Abrège Soeur warned that calls had been made on social media for women to be targeted with syringes. Paris police chief Laurent Nuñez todl French broadcaster CNews: 'These are extremely serious incidents,' calling the online calls to inject women 'completely idiotic.' Two men were also arrested in the centre of the north-eastern city of Metz on suspicion of syringe attacks. The mayor of Metz, François Grosdidier, took to social media to address the situation: 'On social networks, a call for syringe assaults has been launched during the Music Festivals in major cities. It happened in two other cities in Moselle and all over France… 17 young girls (ages 14-20) were victimized in #Metz.' Grosdidier continued: 'A description of a syringe attacker was shared with the Urban Supervision Center (CSU) to help locate him on video footage, as well as with the municipal and national police. Municipal police officers identified him on Rue Serpenoise, arrested him, and handed him over to the National Police and judicial authorities. I hope the investigation – especially examining his mobile phone – will help identify other attackers.' Police said more than 370 people were detained nationwide during the festival on various charges. A reported fourteen participants in the festivities were seriously injured, including a 17-year-old who was hospitalised after being found sitting on the street with stab wounds to the lower abdomen. Thirteen members of law enforcement were also injured. This isn't the first time that syringe attacks targeting women have taken place. Similar cases took place in France in June 2022. Several suspects around France were detained for allegedly pricking people with a needle in nightclubs or at concerts. At the time, the French Ministry of the Interior confirmed to Euronews that 80 per cent of the targets were young women. French police tallied over 400 reports at the time, saying that the motive of the jabs was unclear. In Spain, the number of women reporting being jabbed with medical needles while at nightclubs or parties rose to 60 in 2022, according to the country's interior minister. There were similar incidents in the UK in 2021, prompting the British Parliament to publish a report in April 2022 about spiking cases.
Fox News
24-06-2025
- Fox News
Terrifying trend emerges as music festival fans suffer mysterious needle attacks
Print Close By Ashley DiMella Published June 24, 2025 A popular French street music festival has resulted in a slew of syringe attacks — prompting authorities to investigate. Twelve suspects have been detained after 145 festival go-ers reported being pricked while at the Fête de la Musique, according to France 24 with AFP news. The attacks occurred across the Paris region. Multiple paramedical resources were mobilized, according to French outlet Le Républicain Lorrain. TOURISM SURGE CREATES 'NEW CHALLENGE' AS VISITORS TRANSFORM MT. FUJI INTO 'TRASH MOUNTAIN' French politician François Grosdidier, who serves as the mayor of Metz, posted about the "injection assaults" on his Facebook page. "Like many cities in France, Ville de Metz was not spared by these cowardly aggressions," he wrote. "Seventeen young girls (aged 14-20) were targeted as they were simply out to enjoy the evening." He added that the attacks were done on "nearly 150 women across the country." CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER Fox News Digital reached out to the French Interior Ministry for comment. Grosdidier indicated that calls for syringe assaults have been circulating across social media, sparking fears of a coordinated attack. French influencer Abrège Soeur shared on Instagram ahead of the festival that "calls are circulating on Snapchat to prick people with contaminated syringes." For more Lifestyle articles, visit It is unclear if the needles were spiked with "date-rape drugs" such as Rohypnol or GHB. Other European countries have noted the uptick in spiking attacks, with the United Kingdom reporting an increase in 2021. Britain's National Police Chiefs' Council conducted a report on spiking both by needle injection and in beverages. The report found spiking victims are predominantly female. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP "Not only [is there] the immediate risk to their physical health, but also the shock and distress at having been targeted; the concern about going out socially in future; and, in cases of needle-facilitated spiking, the ongoing worry around testing for blood-borne diseases," said the report. Print Close URL
Vancouver Sun
23-06-2025
- Vancouver Sun
145 people reportedly attacked with syringes at a street festival, 12 suspects arrested
A total of 145 people in France were reportedly assaulted with syringes while attending a country-wide street music festival over the weekend. The festival, called Fete de la Musique, took place at locations across the country and attracted millions of festival-goers, according to French media such as France24 and RFI . Overall, there were 12 arrests related to the syringe attacks, the interior ministry said. On June 21, Paris firefighters said they were receiving a large number of calls related to high attendance at the festival in a post on X . According to Paris police, there were 13 cases of people saying they were pricked in the capital, The Guardian reported . It was not revealed by authorities what the contents of the syringes were; however, the interior ministry said some victims were taken to hospital for toxicology tests. French publication France Info reported that investigations were opened after three victims, a including an 18-year-old boy and 15-year-old girl, became ill. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Meanwhile, François Grosdidier, the mayor of Metz, a city in northeastern France, said there had been a 'call for syringe assaults' on social media in the major cities where the festival was taking place. At 9:15 p.m., Grosdidier said the first such assault was reported in Metz. The victims were approximately 15 young girls between the ages of 14 and 20 years old. Using video footage of a suspect, police were able to identify and arrest him. Grosdidier said he hopes the investigation will help authorities identify other assailants. A post shared by François Grosdidier (@francois_grosdidier) Grosdidier also said that police arrested an individual who slapped a young girl and broke up some fights in the area, likely provoked by alcohol consumption. He posted a series of photos from the festival that showed him speaking with authorities. French media such as Le Monde as well as The Guardian corroborated Grosdidier's point that there were calls on social media platforms to assault festival-goers with syringes. The attacks were wide-ranging, with four arrests in the southwestern city of Angoulême and roughly 50 victims . In the Normandy region, several women in Évreux and Rouen were reportedly pricked with needles, per French media site Ici . Investigations were opened and it was not immediately clear if the syringes had any substances inside them. In the city of Tours, Ici reported that there were 13 people who were victims of a syringe attack. There were also attacks reported in the northeastern city of Thionville and commune of Sarreguemines . In Vesoul, a commune in eastern France, the local trade association posted a warning on Facebook . 'For several months, numerous cases of syringe attacks have been reported throughout France, often during festivals or soirées,' the caption of the post said in French, adding that the syringes could be filled with dangerous substances. A video accompanying the post said that those pricked with a syringe may feel suddenly ill or suffer from dizziness. It urged festival-goers to be vigilant. There were more than 370 people detained throughout the festival weekend across France for a variety of charges, according to Agence France-Presse. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
Edmonton Journal
23-06-2025
- Edmonton Journal
145 people reportedly attacked with syringes at a street festival, 12 suspects arrested
Article content On June 21, Paris firefighters said they were receiving a large number of calls related to high attendance at the festival in a post on X. According to Paris police, there were 13 cases of people saying they were pricked in the capital, The Guardian reported. It was not revealed by authorities what the contents of the syringes were; however, the interior ministry said some victims were taken to hospital for toxicology tests. French publication France Info reported that investigations were opened after three victims, a including an 18-year-old boy and 15-year-old girl, became ill. Meanwhile, François Grosdidier, the mayor of Metz, a city in northeastern France, said there had been a 'call for syringe assaults' on social media in the major cities where the festival was taking place. At 9:15 p.m., Grosdidier said the first such assault was reported in Metz. The victims were approximately 15 young girls between the ages of 14 and 20 years old. Using video footage of a suspect, police were able to identify and arrest him. Grosdidier said he hopes the investigation will help authorities identify other assailants.
Calgary Herald
23-06-2025
- Calgary Herald
145 people reportedly attacked with syringes at a street festival, 12 suspects arrested
A total of 145 people in France were reportedly assaulted with syringes while attending a country-wide street music festival over the weekend. Article content The festival, called Fete de la Musique, took place at locations across the country and attracted millions of festival-goers, according to French media such as France24 and RFI. Overall, there were 12 arrests related to the syringe attacks, the interior ministry said. Article content Article content Article content On June 21, Paris firefighters said they were receiving a large number of calls related to high attendance at the festival in a post on X. According to Paris police, there were 13 cases of people saying they were pricked in the capital, The Guardian reported. It was not revealed by authorities what the contents of the syringes were; however, the interior ministry said some victims were taken to hospital for toxicology tests. French publication France Info reported that investigations were opened after three victims, a including an 18-year-old boy and 15-year-old girl, became ill. Article content Article content Meanwhile, François Grosdidier, the mayor of Metz, a city in northeastern France, said there had been a 'call for syringe assaults' on social media in the major cities where the festival was taking place. At 9:15 p.m., Grosdidier said the first such assault was reported in Metz. The victims were approximately 15 young girls between the ages of 14 and 20 years old. Article content Using video footage of a suspect, police were able to identify and arrest him. Grosdidier said he hopes the investigation will help authorities identify other assailants. Article content Article content View this post on Instagram A post shared by François Grosdidier (@francois_grosdidier) Article content Grosdidier also said that police arrested an individual who slapped a young girl and broke up some fights in the area, likely provoked by alcohol consumption. He posted a series of photos from the festival that showed him speaking with authorities. Article content Article content French media such as Le Monde as well as The Guardian corroborated Grosdidier's point that there were calls on social media platforms to assault festival-goers with syringes. Article content The attacks were wide-ranging, with four arrests in the southwestern city of Angoulême and roughly 50 victims. In the Normandy region, several women in Évreux and Rouen were reportedly pricked with needles, per French media site Ici. Investigations were opened and it was not immediately clear if the syringes had any substances inside them.
