Two French Police Officers Arrested for Alleged Rape of Woman in Custody

The prefect of the Paris police, Patrice Faure, announced on X that he had “immediately suspended” the two officers, who have submitted an administrative report describing their version of events, another source close to the case said. The police watchdog, known as the IGPN, has opened an investigation into the case.

The alleged assault adds to growing concerns about police misconduct in France. In a separate case, another officer is scheduled to stand trial next year for allegedly raping an undocumented Angolan woman inside a police station in the Seine-et-Marne region near Paris. She told investigators she was raped twice in 2023 after going to the station to file a domestic violence complaint, Libération reported.

France has experienced several high-profile rape cases in recent months that have reignited debate about sexual consent and accountability.

On Wednesday, the French parliament approved a bill defining rape as any non-consensual sexual act, a move lawmakers said is a shift from “a culture of rape to a culture of consent.”