Two French police officers have been detained and suspended following allegations that they raped a young woman while she was in custody at a court facility near Paris, authorities confirmed on Thursday.
According to Bobigny prosecutor Eric Mathais, the alleged assault occurred overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday inside a holding area at the Bobigny courthouse, located just north of the French capital.
The 26-year-old woman, whose identity has not been disclosed, had been brought before prosecutors on charges related to “acts of parental neglect.”
Mathais said the two accused officers — aged 23 and 35 — “have not been police officers for long.” Both were taken into custody on Thursday as investigations continued.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Paris police prefect Patrice Faure announced that he had “immediately suspended” the officers following the allegations.
A source close to the case said the officers had submitted an administrative report presenting their version of events, but details of their account have not been made public.
Internal Investigation Underway
France’s internal police watchdog, the General Inspectorate of the National Police (IGPN), has launched an inquiry into the incident.
The case adds to growing scrutiny of French law enforcement, coming amid a series of sexual assault allegations involving police officers in recent years.
Separate Rape Case Near Paris
In a separate case, another police 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, also near Paris.
The woman had gone to the station in 2023 to report domestic violence but later accused the officer of raping her twice, according to French daily Libération.
France’s Broader Reckoning on Consent
The latest allegations come as France faces a national reckoning over sexual violence and consent.
Just this week, the French Parliament adopted a landmark bill defining rape as any non-consensual sexual act, a reform widely hailed as a step toward what supporters call a shift from “a culture of rape to a culture of consent.”
The case in Bobigny is expected to intensify pressure on French police authorities to strengthen oversight, accountability, and training within the force — particularly in cases involving vulnerable detainees.
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