PARIS: French authorities have arrested two men for their alleged involvement in a gang rape case involving a Mexican tourist, in the Champ de Mars Park, prosecutors said Friday.
The Park lies at the foot of the Eiffel Tower in central Paris. Paris prosecutors said the men were detained on Thursday in connection with an ongoing investigation into the rape of the woman.
According to the Le Parisien daily, which first reported the incident, the 27-year-old woman was assaulted by five men, suggesting that three suspects were still at large. Prosecutors, however, have not confirmed the same.
The Champ de Mars is a large park extending from the Eiffel Tower which is hugely popular among locals and tourists.
The Park will be a key site during the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris when beach volleyball is to be held at the foot of the Eiffel Tower and wrestling and judo at the temporary Arena Champ de Mars at the other end of the park.
Unlike most Paris parks which close during the night, the Champ de Mars can be accessed 24/7.
The reported rape revived pressure on Anne Hidalgo, Paris’s Socialist Mayor, to close the park at night for safety reasons.
“How many sexual assaults and rapes does Anne Hidalgo expect there to be before she agrees to close the Champ de Mars at night so that Parisians and tourists are safe?” said Rachida Dati right-wing mayor of Paris 7th district where the park is located arrondissement, on Twitter which is being rebranded as X.
