Aug 26, 02:58 PM

Paris Police Detain Suspect in Rape of Ukrainian Woman Near Eiffel Tower

Paris police have arrested a man who claims to be a 17-year-old Libyan after the rape of a 32-year-old Ukrainian woman near the Eiffel Tower in the early hours of Tuesday, 26 August. According to the Paris prosecutor’s office and details first reported by Le Parisien, the assault occurred at about 2:40 a.m. on the Champ-de-Mars, when the attacker allegedly dragged the victim into bushes and raped her. Officers from the night crime squad, alerted by the woman’s screams, apprehended the suspect at the scene and placed him in custody at the 14th-arrondissement police station. The suspect, who was reportedly intoxicated and carried no identification, told officers he was a minor; authorities are verifying his age and identity. The third district of the Paris judicial police has taken over the investigation. The victim, also said to have been drinking and not fluent in French, is expected to provide a fuller statement once interpreters are available. The incident has renewed scrutiny of security around the Eiffel Tower, a focal point of nearly six million visitors a year. Official data cited by police show one reported rape and seven sexual assaults in the area in 2024, down from five rapes and nine assaults in 2023, but local officials have argued that the surveillance network of more than 100 cameras is still insufficient. Tuesday’s attack follows several high-profile sexual assaults near the landmark over the past two years, including cases involving tourists from Mexico and the United Kingdom.