12 arrested in Paris in protests against police violence

Twelve people were arrested in a Paris suburb as protests continued over alleged police violence against an alleged rape of a young man by an officer, the media reported on Monday.

Unrest in some of the French capital's low-income suburbs has been ongoing since the February 2 arrest of Aulnay-sous-Bois resident, Theo, a 22-year-old black man who was hospitalised for an anal tear after police officers allegedly sexually assaulted him with a nightstick, Efe news reported.

One officer has since been charged with rape, while three others were being investigated for intentional violence.

The arrests on Sunday night occurred in the Drancy area in the north of Paris, where protestors burnt several cars and caused damage to public amenities.

Although initial investigative lines suggested that the charged officer did not intentionally cause an anal tear during the violent arrest, Theo's case has caught the attention of the French public and officials alike.

President Francois Hollande visited Theo in the hospital following the incident and Interior Minister Bruno Le Rouz on Monday called for calm, adding that no act of violence from either protestors or the police would be tolerated.

He said the investigation into Theo's case was ongoing.

--IANS

ksk/dg