Hundreds of people say they have been hit by mysterious needle sticks while in crowds in France. A 20-year-old man has now been arrested, after being identified during an attack.
This weekend it happened again. At a concert on a beach in the southern French city of Toulon, about 20 people reported being injured by a needle on Friday night. A woman was taken to hospital and the police were called in due to the panic that broke out in the crowd. But two women managed to identify the man they claim to have been attacked by.
Hundreds more
Two more similar incidents were reported after two music festivals this weekend, but on Sunday a suspect was arrested for the needle stick, French prosecutors announce.
“In the current state of investigation, the suspect denies all charges, but given the testimonies, the prosecution believes that there is sufficient evidence to open a case and bring him before a judge,” said Samuel Finielz, a prosecutor in Toulon.
Hundreds of people across France have reported in recent months that they have been stabbed with some kind of needle while moving among many people, at nightclubs or concerts.
Often women
In many cases, it is women who have been stabbed. The victims can show clear injection marks and often bruises. Many testify to dizziness, chills and other symptoms, but even though many have been tested, doctors have not found any infection or signs that someone has been injected with drugs. No one has been sexually abused, but one person is reported to have been robbed.