French police have detained 12 individuals following reports that 145 people were pricked with syringes during the nationwide Fête de la Musique celebrations over the weekend, France’s interior ministry has confirmed.
The incidents, referred to as “needle spiking,” occurred in various cities across the country, including at least 13 reported cases in Paris, according to local police. Victims typically reported being injected in the arm, leg, or buttocks during crowded festivities.
Authorities have not yet confirmed whether the syringes contained substances such as Rohypnol or GHB—commonly used date-rape drugs that can cause disorientation or unconsciousness. “The ministry is taking this very seriously,” a spokesperson told CNN on Monday, adding that toxicology tests are underway as part of the ongoing investigation.
The annual street music festival drew massive crowds, with officials describing the turnout in Paris as “unprecedented.” Paris police chief Laurent Nuñez told French broadcaster CNews that crowd numbers were three to four times higher than usual.
Ahead of the event, warnings circulated on social media, including alerts from feminist influencers like Abrège Soeur, who said women were being targeted. Nuñez condemned the online messages as “completely idiotic” and called the incidents “extremely serious.”
In Paris, prosecutors launched investigations into separate incidents involving three individuals—among them a 15-year-old girl and an 18-year-old man—who all reported feeling unwell after being pricked.
Aside from the needle spiking cases, authorities arrested 371 people nationwide on Saturday night for unrelated incidents, including nearly 90 arrests in Paris, the ministry reported.
