Jewish woman ‘held captive and raped’ in France to ‘avenge Palestine’: Suspect sent text message to victim’s mother saying ‘I will desecrate your daughter, you will never see her again’
A Jewish woman was allegedly raped and threatened with murder by a man who wanted to ‘avenge Palestine’ in France.
A 32-year-old was charged with ‘death threats due to religion’ and the use of narcotics after his arrest in Gennevilliers on Sunday.
The victim, said to have met the suspect through a dating app in 2023 and claimed she was trapped in the suspect’s home before counter-terrorism police raided the apartment on Avenue Chenard-et-Walker and made the arrest.
According to police sources, the suspect took the woman’s phone and texted her mother and ex-boyfriend. To her parents he wrote: ‘Good luck, you will never find your daughter again, you will never see her again, I will desecrate your daughter.’
He wrote to the ex-boyfriend that he wanted to ‘avenge Palestine’.
The victim was able to alert police when she recovered her phone on Sunday and called her mother for help, leading to the geolocation of her call and an arrest later that day, initially suspected of kidnapping.
File photo shows French police forces, including the Investigation and Intervention Brigade, raiding the house in Gennevilliers on March 27 and taking part in counter-terrorism exercises
The suspect, who has not yet been named, will be tried in June for the charges against him.
He was initially suspected of kidnapping, but the charges eventually went to trial not accepted by the prosecutor.
The suspect acknowledged the death threats made, but described them as mere ‘provocations’ BFMTV.
The victim told investigators that she was raped by the suspect.
It was too reported that the man claimed he would “prostitute” the victim in text messages to her mother.
The man was taken into custody in Nanterre and placed under judicial supervision with a ban on owning a weapon and coming into contact with the victim, local media reported.
The rape allegation is reportedly still under investigation.
Police custody was lifted on Tuesday, ahead of the June 21 trial before the 16th Criminal Chamber.
The case has sparked national outrage in France and strong reactions from politicians.
Hauts-de-Seine MP Elsa Faucillon wrote on Twitter/X that she was “shocked by this despicable and anti-Semitic act” and shared “solidarity and moved thoughts for this woman.”
Former presidential candidate Marine Le Pen wrote: “Far-left politicians, who have multiplied inflammatory statements and speeches of unacceptable violence for six months, bear a heavy responsibility in this climate of anti-Semitic hatred.
“I offer all my support to the victim and to our Jewish compatriots.”
Meyer Habib drew comparisons to the murder of Sarah Halimi, a Jewish woman who was murdered in her apartment in 2017. The case sparked national outrage and led to mass demonstrations.
Meyer Habib, deputy of the French National Assembly, wrote: ‘Thank God she managed to escape! As in Toulouse, as for Sarah Halimi and hyperkosher, hatred of Israel is deadly in France. It is the fuel of anti-Semitism, hatred of Israel is the blade of the Islamic dagger.’
Jewish former kindergarten teacher Sarah Halimi was attacked and murdered in her Paris apartment in 2017.
Her attacker, Kobili Traoré, a Muslim of Malian descent, sang verses from the Koran and shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’ as he assaulted her for a period of 20-30 minutes.
The case also sparked outrage in France and raised fears of a growing trend of anti-Semitism.
‘Sad and worried for the French Jews, but above all, as I keep saying, worried for France!’ Habib closed his post.