By Thomas Mackintosh, BBC News
There is currently a huge police presence on the ground in Paris in order to maintain the safety of those in the city during the Olympics (file image). Photo: Artur Widak / NurPhoto via AFP
French police are investigating after an Australian woman said she was raped by five men in central Paris.
The 25-year-old woman took refuge in a kebab shop in the Pigalle district on Saturday morning with her dress partially torn off, local media reported.
No arrests have yet been made but prosecutors confirmed officers are treating the investigation as "gang rape".
The incident happened just days before the opening of the 2024 Olympics in the French capital.
According to French newspaper Le Parisien, restaurant owners called for help when they saw the woman's state.
She was looked after by firefighters following the alleged assault and was later taken to Bichat hospital to be examined by medical professionals.
The Paris Prosecutor's Office said police were investigating the allegations and that CCTV footage was being looked at.
"The investigation into the charge of gang rape likely to have been committed on the night of 19 to 20 July has been entrusted to the second judicial police district," it said.
There is currently a huge police presence on the ground in Paris in order to maintain the safety of those in the city during the Olympics, which begin on Friday.
Officers have been patrolling in big numbers since last week in Paris, with armed guards around the River Seine.
Several security zones have also been set up around the city with Paris split into zones.
Anyone wishing to enter certain zones, including the Eiffel Tower, will have to apply for a special games pass on a platform run by police.
- BBC
