France: At Least 145 Injected in Syringe Attacks During Multicultural Music Festival

The increasingly multicultural ‘Fête de la Musique’ festival in France was marred by wanton violence, clashes with police, looting, and hundreds of people believed to have been victims of the growing trend of non-consensual injections otherwise known as “evening bites”.

World Music Day, an annual party across France featuring free concerts and amateurs showing off their talents on the streets, once again turned ugly over the weekend. In total, 371 people were arrested across the country on Saturday and Sunday early in the morning.

According to Le Figaro, 13 police officers were injured and 14 revellers were seriously injured, including a teenage boy who was stabbed in the stomach. An estimated 1,500 people were treated for injuries and other medical issues during the weekend’s festivities.

Meanwhile, multiple stores were looted, including Nike and Sephora shops in Paris on Saturday.

However, perhaps most concerningly, 145 people came forward to police claiming to have been victims of “stings” or “evening bites” in which assailants surreptitiously use syringes to inject substances into unassuming victims, typically young women.

Often, victims are initially unaware that they were injected with a drug, believing a bug had bitten them before suffering from dizziness, nausea, or even loss of consciousness. The phenomenon is most commonly found at music festivals or at popular nightclubs.

The growing practice in France has often been associated with the use of date rape drugs such as GHB, suggesting that the assailants may be attempting to use the injections to facilitate sexual assaults. Yet, many instances have seemingly no connection to sexual assaults, with some being tied to other crimes, such as theft and robbery.

The issue has not been confined to France. A report from the British parliament found 1,382 instances between September 2021 and January 2022, mostly among students.

According to the French Ministry of Interior, 12 people have been arrested in connection with the alleged ‘evening bite’ injections during the Fête de la Musique.

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