145 People Attacked with Syringes at French Music Festival, Arrests Made

Photo Credit: Mathurin Napoly

French police have detained 12 suspects after 145 people report being pricked with syringes during the Fête de la Musique in Paris.

Millions of people enjoyed the festival in Paris this weekend, with authorities reporting ‘unprecedented crowds’ on the streets of Paris. The interior ministry said 145 victims across the country were reportedly stabbed with needles during the outdoor music events. Paris police reported at least 13 cases in the city. Officials have not commented if the needles were filled with date-rape drugs like Rohypnol or GHB, which is often used by attackers to render their victims unconscious.

Investigations were opened into the needle pricking incidents when a 15-year-old girl and 18-year-old male reported being stabbed. They reported feeling unwell after the incident. French police say four of the detainees were arrested in the city of Angoulême and are suspected of targeting around 50 victims. Two men were also arrested in the city of Metz on suspicion of engaging in syringe attacks.

Ahead of the festival, feminist influencer Abrège Soeur raised alarms about posts on social media calling for women to be attacked with syringes during the event. She warned the public that there were online posts urging people to attack women with needles. Her efforts posting online brought attention to the threat of ‘needle spiking’—a phenomenon which has occurred at other festivals in and across Europe.

A local public radio station, Ici France, reports that several young women complained of being stabbed with syringes in Évreux and Rouen in Normandy. One woman was taken to the hospital with pains after she believed a needle was stabbed into her left arm. In the city of Tours, 13 women complained to authorities on duty that someone had pricked them with a syringe.

‘Needle spiking’ is unfortunately not a new trend among the live music scene in Europe. In 2021, over 1,000 reports of needle spiking were recorded across the United Kingdom, with most of the reports originating in Notthingham, Brighton, Eastbourne, and Northern Ireland. Police launched investigations into those incidents, but there were no prosecutions.

In 2022 at a football match in Belgium, 14 attendees reported feeling a prick and became unwell. Over 300 reports of needle spiking at French night clubs were reported between 2021 and 2022. Some of those complaints originated at the 2022 Fête de la Musique in Paris. Other cities with reported needle spiking activity include Nantes, Grenoble, and Toulouse. Authorities believe most syringe strikes happen on the arms, buttocks, or back—without victims seeing their alleged attacker.

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