A British policewoman was raped at knifepoint near the Eiffel tower in Paris. According to The Telegraph, the incident took place on Monday when the 23-year-old was on a vacation with a friend. The woman told the French police that the attack took place at 11pm not far from the Wall of Peace in Champs-de-Mars, the park surrounding the monument, the outlet further said. She called the police after the man fled the scene. She was taken into the care of firefighters at the scene.
The woman went behind a bush to go to the toilet when the man jumped on her. When she tried to push him away he took out a knife and threatened her. She then stopped fighting back and he raped her, The Telegraph said.
Police arrested a 35-year-old man around an hour after the woman reported the attack and gave a description of the suspect.
He was taken into custody overnight, Le Parisian reported.
"We are supporting a British woman following an attack in Paris," an FCDO spokesperson said.
The attack comes less than three months after a woman from Mexico reported that she had been raped at the same park.
Two men were released based on the complaint filed by the 27-year-old but were released shortly afterwards.
The Champ de Mars is a huge garden that extends from the Eiffel Tower and is very popular with tourists and locals. Unlike most of the parks in Paris, which close during the night, Champ de Mars can be accessed round-the-clock, said The Telegraph.
Another similar case was reported in Paris in August when a 47-year-old woman was raped at knifepoint after a man entered her ground-floor flat while she was sleeping with the window open.
France is currently on its highest state of alert after a deadly knife attack on a teacher last week. Authorities have deployed an additional 7,000 troops to patrol key areas after the attack.
