A Jewish woman was allegedly raped and threatened with murder by a man seeking to “avenge Palestine” in France.
A 32-year-old man was indicted for “death threats due to religion” and use of narcotics following his arrest on Sunday in Gennevilliers.
The victim, who allegedly met the suspect via a dating app in 2023, claimed she was trapped at the suspect’s home before counterterrorism police raided the apartment on Avenue Chenard-et-Walker and makes the arrest.
Police sources said the suspect took the woman’s phone and sent text messages to her mother and ex-boyfriend. He wrote to his parents: “Good luck, you will never find your daughter again, you will never see her again, I will desecrate your daughter.
He wrote to his former boyfriend that he wanted to “avenge Palestine.”
The victim was able to alert police by recovering his phone on Sunday and calling his mother for help, which led to the geolocation of his call and his arrest later that day, initially on suspicion of kidnapping.
The file photo shows French police forces, including the Research and Intervention Brigade, who raided Gennevilliers’ house, taking part in anti-terrorism exercises on March 27.
The suspect, who has not been named, will be tried in June on the charges against him.
He was initially suspected of kidnapping, but the accusation was ultimately not upheld by the prosecution.
The suspect acknowledged the death threats made but described them as simple “provocations”, according to BFMTV.
The victim told investigators she was raped by the suspect.
It was also reported that the man claimed he would “prostitute” the victim in text messages to her mother.
The man was taken into police custody in Nanterre and placed under judicial supervision with a ban on possessing a weapon and coming into contact with the victim, local media report.
The rape allegation is reportedly still under investigation.
Police custody was lifted on Tuesday, ahead of the trial on June 21 before the 16th Criminal Chamber.
The affair sparked national outrage in France, provoking strong reactions from political leaders.
Elsa Faucillon, MP for Hauts-de-Seine, wrote on Twitter/X that she was “horrified by this despicable and anti-Semitic act”, sharing “her solidarity and her moved thoughts for this woman”.
Former presidential candidate Marine Le Pen wrote: “Far-left politicians, who for six months have increased their inflammatory statements and speeches of unacceptable violence, bear a heavy responsibility in this climate of anti-Semitic hatred.
“I give my full support to the victim and to our fellow Jews.”
Meyer Habib drew comparisons to the murder of Sarah Halimi, a Jewish woman killed in her apartment in 2017. The case sparked nationwide outcry and sparked mass protests
Meyer Habib, a member of the French National Assembly, wrote: “Thank God she managed to escape! As in Toulouse, as for Sarah Halimi and the hypercasher, hatred of Israel kills in France. It is the fuel of anti-Semitism, hatred of Israel is the blade of the Islamist dagger.
Sarah Halimi, a former Jewish kindergarten teacher, was attacked and killed in her Paris apartment in 2017.
His attacker, Kobili Traoré, a Muslim of Malian origin, chanted verses from the Koran and shouted “Allahu Akbar” while attacking him for 20 to 30 minutes.
The affair has also sparked outrage in France and raised fears of a growing trend of anti-Semitism.
“Sad and worried for French Jews but above all, as I keep saying, worried for France! Habib concluded his message.
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