14 suspects arrested after 145 people pricked with syringes at music festivals in France

Police have arrested 14 people so far after 145 people said they were stabbed with syringes at the Fête de la Musique music festivals across France on Saturday.

People who attended the outdoor music events have reported being pricked with needles, then feeling unwell. Victims say they experienced dizziness and hot flushes. Some people had visible marks on their skin. Several victims lost consciousness.

The French authorities have not specified whether the needles contained the date-rate drugs GHB or Rohypnol, which are often used to spike people. Toxicology tests are being carried out.

Before the Fête de la Musique events, influencers claimed some men had called on social media for women to be attacked with syringes at music festivals throughout France.

At least 13 incidents with happened in Paris. The crowds in the capital were exceptionally large. The Paris police chief Laurent Nuñez told CNews there were three to four times as many people in the city than normal. He said the incidents with needles were “extremely serious” and the calls on social media to attack women were “completely idiotic”.

In Metz, 15 women aged between 14 and 20 told the police they had been attacked with needles. The mayor François Grosdidier wrote on Instagram that firefighters intervened and made a gathering point for the affected women.

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A post shared by François Grosdidier (@francois_grosdidier)

Local media reported that these women were sent to hospital to recover.

Police identified a suspected attacker from video footage, and handed him over to the National Police.

The mayor wrote: “I hope that the investigation, particularly through the examination of his cell phone, will lead to the identification of other attackers.”

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Featured image credit: Mohammed Badra/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock.