A suspect has been apprehended following the circulation of a viral video that allegedly captures an attempted rape on a train near Paris, according to local media reports. The incident, which occurred earlier this month, involved Jhordana Dias, a 26-year-old Brazilian national. Dias recounted to Le Parisien newspaper that the man boarded the train, physically assaulted her, and attempted to remove her underwear. The situation escalated when another passenger, alerted by Dias’s screams, began recording the incident on her phone. The footage shows the suspect fleeing as the train arrives at a station.
The arrest was made on Friday evening by transport police in Mantes-la-Jolie, located northwest of Paris. Investigators traced the suspect to this location, though the exact method remains unclear. At the time of his arrest, the suspect was not carrying any identification but claimed to be a 26-year-old Egyptian national. He is currently in custody.
The alleged attack took place on October 15 between the Choisy-le-Roi and Villeneuve-le-Roi train stations, southeast of Paris. The video depicts a man dressed in a black tracksuit and cap on the train. Amidst the sound of a woman’s cries, the individual recording the incident can be heard instructing the man to ‘stay there’ as he appears to approach her. The train then arrives at a station, and the man exits, fleeing down the platform.
The woman who filmed the incident, identified only as Marguerite in French media, has been widely praised for potentially preventing a more severe assault on Dias. Dias, who does not speak French, reportedly filed a police complaint in Choisy-le-Roi with the assistance of her brother, who translated her testimony.
The video has been extensively shared across news outlets and social media, prompting numerous women to recount their own experiences of harassment on public transport in France. Additionally, two other women have come forward to Le Parisian, alleging that they were also victims of the same man.
This incident has reignited discussions about women’s safety in France, highlighting the ongoing issue of sexual violence in public spaces.