Three women were injured Thursday afternoon in several Paris metro stations after a series of stabbing attacks, police authorities confirmed.
According to the first elements of the investigation, an individual allegedly attacked three passengers successively between 4:15 p.m. and 4:45 p.m. in busy stations in the center of the capital: Arts-et-Métiers, République and Opéra.
The victims were taken care of by the emergency services present on site. Their life prognosis is not in jeopardy, but they suffered injuries requiring hospital treatment, according to the information available at this stage.
Immediately after the incident, the police launched a vast search operation to locate the alleged perpetrator. Initially on the run, the individual was finally arrested in Sarcelles, a town located north of Paris, according to sources close to the case.
The exact circumstances which motivated these attacks remain to be clarified. No demands were immediately reported, and the motivations of the attacker – whether personal, psychological or of another order – have not yet been publicly established. The investigation was entrusted to the competent services of the judicial police.
Recent gatherings
This incident occurs in a context where the issue of safety in Parisian public transport, and more broadly in major European cities, continues to focus the attention of the authorities and the public. Recent rallies in Paris have called for increased measures against violence against women, a hot topic in France in recent months.
Violence against women in public spaces, including in transport, is a major concern in France. Recent demonstrations in Paris, bringing together several thousand people, demanded firmer action from public authorities to protect women against all forms of aggression and violence.
