In a horror scene that occurred this Sunday, January 5, a 58-year-old woman was sexually assaulted while jogging in Nantes. Thanks to the rapid intervention of several witnesses, the attacker was subdued before the police arrived, allowing the victim to escape the worst.
The events took place around 11 a.m. The victim, a 58-year-old jogger, was tackled to the ground by an 18-year-old young man, originally from Somalia, on the stairs of the Jonelière bridge. The attacker brought his pelvis closer to the woman’s face, in a position suggesting attempted rape. “ She understood that she was going to be forced to perform oral sex », Specified a person close to the file. Faced with this terrifying situation, the victim struggled, screaming and biting his attacker on the hand..
Assault in Nantes: the accused in police custody
The rapid reaction of several witnesses made it possible to stop the attack. A man, having seen the scene, immediately intervened, followed by four other people who held the attacker until the arrival of the police.
The attacker, a young man of 18, was arrested and taken into police custody. During his interrogation, he denied the facts, claiming that the victim fell down the stairs and that his behavior was involuntary. However, he ultimately admitted to being under the influence of drugs at the time of the incident.. A judicial investigation was opened for attempted rape under the influence of drugs. According to the authorities, the young man, unknown to the courts for similar facts, risks pre-trial detention.
This news item comes after a series of violent incidents in Nantes, with the city having been rocked by gunshot wounds and shootings on public transport over the previous weekend. The attack suffered by the jogger revives the pressing issue of insecurity in public spaces. In 2023, security services recorded 114,000 victims of sexual violence, 74% of whom were attacked outside the family or marital context, representing nearly 84,000 people..
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