Australian Tourist Seeks Refuge After Assault by Five Men

Security footage has emerged, capturing the moment a young Australian woman sought refuge in a kebab shop after being assaulted by five men in Paris. The 25-year-old tourist was found disoriented and unable to speak French outside the shop on Boulevard de Clichy in the 18th arrondissement of Paris, around 5 a.m. on Saturday, just meters from the Moulin Rouge.

Reports indicate the woman was found in a state of shock, with her dress inside out and partially torn, claiming she had been violated by five people. The newly released security footage shows the terrified woman running into the kebab shop and asking the staff for help. Alarmed customers and employees gathered around her to console her when a man entered the shop.

The woman pointed out that the man was her attacker, who approached her and brazenly patted her on the back. A customer confronted the man, who then fled the scene. Police arrived minutes later, and the woman told officers that the men had "African appearances." She was subsequently taken to Bichat Hospital.

The shop owner commented that the woman couldn’t stop crying and that her dress was damaged. Other reports mentioned that the woman was holding her underwear in her hand and that her phone had been stolen.

The woman, whose assault occurred just days before the start of the Olympic Games, had planned to return to Australia but will now remain in Paris to assist police with their investigation. The Paris Prosecutor's Office has announced that an investigation into the incident has been launched.

"The investigation into the charge of gang rape, which likely occurred on the night of July 19 to 20, has been entrusted to the second district of the judicial police," said the Paris Prosecutor's Office. The police have launched a significant operation following the incident.

A spokesperson for Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said that the Australian Embassy in Paris is "making urgent inquiries with French authorities following reports of an Australian citizen assaulted in Paris."

The police union Alliance Paris stated that investigators would do "everything possible to quickly identify the individuals and bring them to justice," according to Le Parisien.