Australian Woman Gang-raped In Paris Days Ahead Of Olympics, Video Shows She Begged for Help After Assault

An Australian woman was allegedly gangraped by five men in Paris ahead of the much-awaited Olympics, police said. The French prosecutors are investigating the heinous crime, which reportedly took place in the midnight of July 19.

As per a CCTV footage, the 25-year-old victim was seen seeking refuge at a kebab shop after the harrowing incident. Her dress was partially torn off, and she was wearing it “inside out”.

The shop is located on Boulevard de Clichy in Paris’ 18th arrondissement, close to Moulin Rouge.

What does the video show?

The video showed the woman running into the shop and urging the staff to help her. Staff and customers are seen crowding around her to comfort her. Soon, a man entered the kebab shop, and the woman identified him as one of her attackers.

The alleged attacker then patted the woman on the back, but fled after being confronted by a customer. Later, the firefighters provided emergency assistance to the woman and later took the victim to a hospital.

According to the reports, the woman had been out drinking near the Moulin Rouge when she was approached by a pack of five men ‘of African appearance’.

Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said in a statement Wednesday that the Australian Embassy in Paris has sought to offer consular assistance to a citizen, who had been assaulted in the French capital.

“We understand that this is a very traumatic experience and stand ready to provide assistance,” the statement said. It did not provide any other information to protect the victim’s privacy.

Meanwhile, the Australian Olympic team said that it is aware of the crime. The team’s chief urged the nation’s athletes to take extra care during the Paris Games amid heightened security concerns.

The Paris prosecutor’s office said police were investigating the allegations made by a 25-year-old Australian woman that she was gang raped at the weekend.

Paris security authorities have been on high alert in the lead-up to the Olympic Games that kick off on Friday with an open-air ceremony on the River Seine. The city is deploying 35,000 police officers daily for the Olympics, which run until Aug. 11, with a peak of 45,000 for the opening ceremony.