145 People Report Being Pricked with Syringes at French Music Festival

145 attendees of France’s annual Fête de la Musique have reported being stabbed with syringes during the nationwide street music festival last weekend. French police have detained 12 suspects in connection with the attacks.

Fête de la Musique took place on Saturday, June 21st, throughout France, and drew what officials called “unprecedented crowds” in Paris and beyond. According to CBS News, the French interior ministry confirmed 145 reports from across the country, with 13 different cases in Paris.

“Some victims were taken to the hospital for toxicological tests,” the authorities said. The investigation was initially opened in Paris after three separate victims, including a 15-year-old girl and an 18-year-old male, reported being stabbed and feeling unwell.

While officials have not confirmed if the needles contained common date rape drugs like Rohypnol or GHB, CBS News noted that social media posts before the event had encouraged the targeting of women during the festivities. Of the 12 suspects detained across the country, four individuals in the southern town of Angouleme are accused of targeting around 50 of the victims.

The needle attacks were part of a chaotic festival weekend that saw more than 370 people detained by police for various offenses. 14 attendees were seriously injured, including a 17-year-old who was hospitalized with stab wounds to the lower abdomen. In addition, 13 members of law enforcement were injured.

Despite these widespread reports, Laurent Nunez, prefect of the Paris police, said that “no major incident has been reported.”