In France, the Fête de la Musique, which attracted particularly large crowds this year, was marred by a number of mysterious needle attacks. As of Sunday, June 22, the Interior Ministry said 145 women across the country had filed charges. 21 of them were in Paris and the surrounding area alone, German public broadcaster ARD reported.
According to media reports, police have arrested four suspected perpetrators in western France who are said to have stabbed a total of 50 people with needles and syringes. Many people have also been the victims of attacks in the east of the country, near Metz - mostly women. A total of 12 suspects have been arrested in connection with the attacks.
Nausea, dizziness and vomiting
French media reported that there were calls on the Internet to stab women on the eve of the festival. However, it is not yet clear whether the attacks in different parts of the country were coordinated.
The victims reported being stabbed in the leg, arm or neck. Most of them complained of nausea, dizziness and vomiting, and there is no information yet about what was in the syringes. It is not clear whether they were drugs or endogenous substances such as adrenaline or insulin. It is also unknown whether there were perpetrators who did not inject anything, but simply wanted to scare people with ordinary needles.
The Dijon hospital reports that this question can often not be answered, as the victims only present themselves at the hospitals hours after the attack and therefore the substances can no longer be detected.
The Fête de la Musique is celebrated on June 21
During the festival, which always takes place on June 21, there is a varied musical program throughout the day and night in public places, in restaurants and bars.
According to media reports, this year's music festival in Paris attracted a particularly large number of tourists, especially from the United Kingdom. The Fête de la Musique is also celebrated in many places in Germany at the beginning of summer.
This year's music festival fell on a Saturday and was in the midst of the first heat wave of the year. Temperatures in Paris reached 34 degrees Celsius. The crowds in the city center were so large that ambulances could barely get through, German public broadcaster ZDF reported.
A total of nearly 1,500 injured
Culture Minister Rachida Dati expressed her outrage at the incidents. "The situation escalates at every celebration in Paris! Women can no longer celebrate without being attacked!", she wrote in X, quoted by ARD.
According to the Interior Ministry, 371 people were arrested nationwide during the festival, 89 of whom were in Paris. Almost 1,500 visitors were injured in clashes or for other reasons, most of them slightly and 14 seriously.