Fête de la Musique 2025. Photo by Kiran Ridley/Getty Images
145 people reported being attacked by syringes this weekend at France's Fête de la Musique, an annual street music festival that attracts millions of people, The Guardian reports.
12 suspects have been arrested, the country's interior ministry said, though officials did not say whether or not there was any evidence that date-rape sedatives such as Rohypnol had been used. “Some victims were taken to hospital for toxicological tests,” the ministry told The Guardian.
Attacks were reported all over the country. 13 cases were filed in Paris, with investigations beginning after three people, including a 15-year-old girl, reported feeling a needle-like stab and subsequent health disturbances. In the city of Angouleme, four suspects are believed to have targeted 50 people.
Prior to the festival, which attracted millions of people and “unprecedented crowds," warnings that men were planning on targeting female concertgoers were posted on social media.
Over 370 people were arrested on separate offences over the course of the weekend. 17 people were seriously hurt, with 13 law enforcement officers sustaining injuries.