As the Olympic opening day approaches in Paris, there have been reports of robbery and sexual violence occurring in quick succession. French authorities are taking various measures, yet domestic and international concerns persist.
Inside The Games reported that two reporters from Australian’s Channel 9 News were attacked by robbers last Monday while returning to their accommodation. The robbers used violence to steal their bags, but fortunately, the reporters managed to escape without serious injuries.
An Australian woman visited a kebab shop in the Pigalle district and sought assistance from the restaurant owner, alleging that she had been sexually assaulted by five men last Saturday. Local police are currently investigating the incident as a case of gang rape.
Having experienced terrorism in recent years, France is placing significant emphasis on safety, with plans to deploy 45,000 security personnel for the opening ceremony. However, despite these measures, incidents targeting the Olympics have raised safety concerns.
During last Thursday’s group stage match between Argentina and Morocco, several Moroccan fans stormed the stadium and threw water bottles at the Argentine coaching staff. Before this disturbance, there were also reports of theft.
After the match, Javier Mascherano, the coach of the Argentine Olympic football team, revealed in an interview with Argentine media that attacking midfielder Thiago Almada had been the victim of theft.
Mascherano expressed regret, saying, “A thief entered the training facility and stole items, including Almada’s watch and ring, last Tuesday. I did not mention it before the match, so I kept it to myself. I hope such incidents don’t occur in the future.”
France Info reported, citing police sources, that the Argentine football team lost a watch valued at €40,000 (approximately US$42,500) and a ring worth €10,000 (approximately US$10,600). The theft occurred in the stadium’s locker room in Saint-Étienne, where the Argentine team had trained before their match against Morocco.
Despite these incidents, the French government has stated that it does not view this as a concerning situation and has assured that safety measures are in place to protect against such events.