A man has been charged in the South of France in connection with an investigation into stings on a French beach.
A man has been charged in the South of France as part of an investigation into stings suffered by spectators who attended the recording of a television program on Friday evening, French justice announced on Sunday. .
Mysterious syringe injections have multiplied in France lately, mainly in nightclubs, to the point that the Toulon prosecution had set up a specific protocol a month ago with the police and the gendarmerie for this type. of assaults. It provides for a forensic examination of the victims, analyzes and samples.
The 20-year-old suspect, residing in Toulon (South of France), was indicted (charged) on Sunday as part of an open judicial investigation, in particular for “aggravated violence by weapon (syringe) and by premeditation “. He was remanded in custody, said Toulon prosecutor Samuel Finielz.
“Several complaints have already been filed”
About twenty spectators who attended the recording of the TF1 program “The song of the year” on the beaches of Mourillon in Toulon during the night from Friday to Saturday, declared to the police that they had been victims of bites during the concert. “Several complaints have already been filed and others have not yet been formalized,” said the prosecutor.
One of the victims, a security officer who worked on the site, was hospitalized. “She suffered from discomfort but we have not yet been able to determine whether this discomfort was linked to a harmful substance introduced into the syringe or to the stressful situation she had just experienced”, specified the magistrate.
These events led to crowd movements on the beach and the intervention of the police. Police located the main suspect and arrested him with a second person, who was later released, no charge can be brought against him. The accused man was identified by two young women who explained that they saw him with a syringe and managed to prevent him from stinging them. They also claimed to have been victims of violence on his part.
“The man fully disputes the facts but, in view of the victims’ statements, the prosecution considered that there were sufficient charges,” said the prosecutor. On Sunday, seven medical examinations had already been carried out, the results of which should be known next week.