Over 140 pricked with needles at France's World Music Day celebrations

Paris prosecutors said three separate investigations had been opened after a 15-year-old girl, an 18-year-old male, and a third individual reported being pricked in different areas of the city

Celebrations for Fête de la Musique, also known as World Music Day, took a dark turn on Saturday evening as at least 145 people—including teenage girls—were pricked with syringes across France. Millions gathered nationwide for the event, with Paris authorities describing the turnout as drawing “unprecedented crowds”, according to France 24.

 

Social media threats had circulated ahead of the festival, warning of potential attacks targeting women. Following the event, the French interior ministry confirmed that 145 individuals had reported being pricked with needles. Thirteen of these cases were recorded in Paris.

 

Uncertainty around toxic substances

 

Authorities have not yet confirmed whether the cases involve needle spiking using incapacitating substances such as GHB or Rohypnol, which are known to be used in sexual assault cases. “Some victims were taken to hospital for toxicological tests,” the interior ministry said in a statement.

 

 

Investigations launched in Paris

 

Paris prosecutors opened three separate investigations after a 15-year-old girl, an 18-year-old male, and a third individual reported being pricked in different parts of the city. All three reported feeling unwell following the incidents.

 

Nationwide, 12 individuals have been arrested in connection with the attacks. In Angoulême, in southwestern France, police took four people into custody for allegedly targeting around 50 victims, according to a police source.

 

Wider unrest and injuries during the festival

 

In total, more than 370 people were detained across the country for various offences committed during the night’s celebrations—nearly 90 of them in Paris alone. Fourteen individuals sustained serious injuries during the events, including a 17-year-old who was found with stab wounds to the lower abdomen and was hospitalised.

 

Law enforcement officers were not spared, with 13 officers reported injured while on duty during the festival, the report added.