Authorities are investigating a disturbing series of syringe attacks that left over a dozen young women hospitalized during France’s Fête de la Musique.
What was meant to be a nationwide celebration of music turned into a night of confusion and fear for festivalgoers across France. During Fête de la Musique - a popular annual event that draws thousands to the streets - more than 140 people, primarily young women, were picked with syringes in what police are now calling a coordinated wave of attacks.
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WATCH HEREIn La Rochelle, at least 14 girls between the ages of 14 and 20 were hospitalized after reporting unexplained injuries and symptoms while attending concerts and street performances.
The French outlet, Le Républicain Lorrain, reported paramedics respond to calls from several crowded locations around 9 p.m., including Rue du Palais and Place de la République, where victims describe feeling faint or noticing sudden pain before discovering puncture wounds on their bodies.
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SIGN UP Police were able to arrest one man in connection with the La Rochelle incidents after a victim identified him to officers on the scene. He was transferred to the national police for questioning. No syringes were recovered, and authorities are currently reviewing his phone for possible connections to others involved.
La Rochelle was not alone. According to France's Interior Ministry, at least 145 individuals- the majority of them girls and women- were reportedly jabbed with needles at Fête de la Musique events in multiple cities.
Investigators are now exploring whether these incidents were inspired by troubling posts circulating online encouraging men to “target women with syringes” during the holiday.
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So far, toxicology reports have not confirmed the presence of any drugs, though officials are conducting further screenings. The concern remains that some of the syringes may have been used to administer incapacitating substances like GHB or Rohypnol—commonly associated with drug-facilitated assault.
The growing fear surrounding so-called "needle spiking" has been a point of concern in Europe over the past few years. However, the rarity of confirmed toxicology findings has left health professionals and law enforcement divided over the true extent of the issue. Regardless, the fear it generates—and the disruption it causes—is real and escalating.
Festival organizers and police are facing mounting pressure to increase safety measures at future events, including more thorough bag checks, medical tents, and real-time monitoring of social media for threats.
As France processes the events of this year's Fête de la Musique, one message is clear: public spaces once considered safe for celebration must now reckon with a new kind of threat—one that is silent, deliberate, and deeply unsettling.
