Police in France have opened an investigation after a 25-year-old Australian woman was allegedly gang raped in Paris, three days before the Olympic Games are set to begin in the city. According to investigating police, the woman said the attack happened sometime before midnight July 19 and in the early hours of July 20. The woman reportedly sought refuge in a nearby kebab shop, and employees called emergency services, SkyNews reported. Security has been a major undertaking for organizers of the Paris 2024 Olympics after the city experienced several terrorist attacks in recent years. Around 35,000 police officers will be deployed around Paris every day of the games, swelling to 45,000 officers during the opening ceremony on the Seine. Security concerns have also been fueled by attempts from Russian propagandists to stoke fears about the safety of games by spreading disinformation. French Minister of Interior Gérald Darmanin reportedly called the Olympics “the largest global event that a country can organize” in a handwritten letter sent to law enforcement and thanked them for their efforts to improve the city’s security, reportedThe Press Democrat. He added that their task “will not be easy” during the international event.
