French police seek 4 men over gang-rape posted online | Inquirer News

French police seek 4 men over gang-rape posted online

/ 07:25 PM September 20, 2018

Toulouse, France – French police were searching Thursday for four men seen raping a woman outside a nightclub in southern France in videos that were shared on social media.

Prosecutors in Toulouse opened an inquiry late Wednesday for gang rape after the 19-year-old victim confirmed she was the woman in at least two videos posted first to Snapchat and then Twitter, a source close to the inquiry told AFP.

The videos of the attack prompted a wave of outrage on Twitter, with many users claiming to know the identities of the attackers, aged 25 to 30.

Article continues after this advertisement

“We need calm and discretion,” the source said when asked about the reported identifications of the men.

FEATURED STORIES

The local Depeche du Midi newspaper reported that the rape occurred overnight Saturday in a parking lot in Balma, a residential suburb east of Toulouse.

Local police were alerted to the attack after the videos were flagged to France’s national digital surveillance cell, and were already investigating Monday when a friend of the victim told them the woman’s identity.

Article continues after this advertisement

The victim herself then came forward after learning the videos were circulating on social media.

Article continues after this advertisement

“The way they broke me, the way they humiliated me, nothing can relieve that. But the video, which will be shared, where you see my body… It’s a vulnerability I’ll have to bear my entire life,” she told a local radio station on Tuesday.

Article continues after this advertisement

Reports said the woman told police she had a hazy memory of the incident and suspects she may have been drugged.

The videos were deleted by the interior ministry’s Pharos program, which deletes graphic and violent internet content, and police began urging people on Monday not to share the images.

Article continues after this advertisement

Videos of rapes have become an increasingly common problem online due to the spread of mobile phones and social media usage, with cases in the United States, Brazil, and India causing outrage in recent years. /kga

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our daily newsletter

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

TAGS: assault, France, gang rape, inquiry, News, Rape, Snapchat, Social Media, Twitter, world, world news

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our newsletter!

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

© Copyright 1997-2024 INQUIRER.net | All Rights Reserved

This is an information message

We use cookies to enhance your experience. By continuing, you agree to our use of cookies. Learn more here.