French authorities have arrested 12 individuals following a wave of syringe attacks reported across the country during this year’s Fête de la Musique, an annual street festival that draws millions.
According to the interior ministry, 145 people reported being pricked with needles during outdoor music events on Saturday night, including 13 cases in Paris alone. Some victims were hospitalized for toxicological testing. Officials have not confirmed whether the incidents involved drugging substances such as GHB or Rohypnol, often associated with so-called needle spiking.
Among the victims in Paris were a 15-year-old girl and an 18-year-old man, both of whom felt unwell after separate incidents. Prosecutors have opened investigations into the cases.
The attacks occurred amid “unprecedented crowds,” especially in the capital. Feminist influencer Abrège Soeur had warned online prior to the event that calls were circulating on social media targeting women with syringe attacks, though the source of these posts remains unclear.
People attend the Israeli Music Festival with the slogan “We will dance again”, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, near the Eiffel Tower at Trocadero square in Paris, France June 22, 2025. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier
In Angoulême, police detained four suspects in connection with around 50 reported victims. Two men were also arrested in Metz, where one was found with a syringe and a woman identified the other as her alleged attacker. Local prosecutors noted that some victims were believed to be under the age of 18, and one suspect, a 20-year-old man, was already known to police for prior violence.
As reported by the Guardian, additional reports emerged from Normandy cities such as Évreux and Rouen, with several young women complaining of syringe pricks. In Tours, 13 women reported similar incidents to on-site emergency responders.
The attacks come just weeks before the height of Paris’s summer music festival season and echo similar reports from 2022, when hundreds of people across France reported unexplained syringe pricks at public venues. A previous police memo stated that injection marks typically appeared on victims’ arms, backs, or buttocks, often without the attacker being seen.
French President Emmanuel Macron blows a kiss on stage during an event for the “France Music Week”, a day before the “Fete de la Musique”, at the Elysee presidential palace in Paris, France, June 20, 2025. THIBAUD MORITZ/Pool via REUTERS TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Beyond the syringe incidents, authorities said over 370 people were detained nationwide during the weekend festival on various charges. Fourteen people were seriously injured during the event, including a 17-year-old found with stab wounds to the lower abdomen. Thirteen law enforcement officers also sustained injuries during the night.
As investigations continue, officials are urging the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious incidents to police immediately.
