A British policewoman on holiday in Paris has reportedly told police she was raped at knifepoint near the Eiffel Tower.
The woman, aged 23, reportedly alerted French police following the alleged attack which took place on Monday.
Victim Attacked as She Went Behind the Bushes to Relieve Herself
As reported by French news outlet Le Parisien, the victim, a tourist staying with her friend in the French capital, said she was attacked by a man wielding a knife in the Champ de Mars park shortly before midnight that evening. She said the suspect pulled out a knife as she tried to deflect his advances.
The Champ de Mars is a large garden that extends from the Eiffel Tower and is hugely popular with tourists and locals. The attacker pounced after the victim went behind a bush to go to the toilet. She was separated from her friend for only a few moments when the attacker threatened her with a knife.
Suspect in Police Custody
After the man fled, she called the police. An anti-crime squad rushed to the scene and the victim was taken care of by firefighters. Police arrested a 35-year-old man around an hour after the woman reported the attack and gave a description of the suspect and he is currently in police custody.
In July, a tourist from Mexico reported that she had been raped at a park near the famous monument. A 27-year-old woman told authorities the attack occurred in the early hours of July 27 at the Champ de Mars park in Paris. Two of the five men were arrested for their alleged involvement in the rape but were released shortly after.
