2 French police officers suspended over alleged r@pe of woman in custody

Two French police officers have been arrested and suspended following allegations that they r@ped a 26-year-old woman while she was in custody at a court building in Bobigny, a suburb north of Paris.

Prosecutor Eric Mathais said the alleged assault took place overnight between Tuesday, October 28, and Wednesday, October 29. The victim had been brought before the Bobigny public prosecutor’s office in a case related to parental neglect.

Mathais confirmed that the suspects, aged 23 and 35, are relatively new to the police force. Both were taken into custody on Thursday, October 30, as part of the ongoing investigation.

Paris police prefect Patrice Faure announced on X (formerly Twitter) that the two officers were “immediately suspended” following the serious allegations.

A source close to the case revealed that the officers have filed an administrative report presenting their version of events, though its contents remain undisclosed. Meanwhile, the internal police watchdog, the IGPN, has launched a formal inquiry into the case.

The incident has intensified public concern over growing reports of s@xual misconduct and abuse of power within French law enforcement.

In a separate case, another officer is expected to face trial next year for allegedly r@ping an undocumented Angolan woman twice inside a police station in the Seine-et-Marne region after she went there to report domestic violence.

These incidents come amid renewed national debate on s3xual violence in France. On Wednesday, lawmakers passed a landmark bill redefining r@pe as any non-consensual sexual act — a move hailed by advocates as a step toward establishing a “culture of consent.”