French authorities have arrested a man suspected of injuring three women with a sharp weapon in different metro stations in the capital city of Paris on Friday, prosecutors said.
The three women were attacked at multiple locations along the line of the Paris metro that stops in the city centre, causing panic among commuters during the busy festive period.
According to the French Interior Ministry, the suspect had aimed at a woman’s back before attacking a second victim in the leg, followed by another attack on the third victim at the same station.
Two of the victims were taken to the hospital, but were out of danger, authorities said.
France’s interior ministry stated that the suspect is a 25-year-old Malian national known to the police for previous criminal record. He was imprisoned in 2024 for theft and also faced sexual assault convictions.
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Officials said the suspect was supposed to have left the country after being released in July this year, however, a missing consular travel document prevented his deportation.
The French authorities were able to identify him via surveillance camera footage from the station.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez took to his X account to praise the authorities for promptly apprehending the suspect, adding that the quick arrest was due to video surveillance and the police’s exceptional knowledge of the area.
The Paris public transport operator RATP deployed additional security teams to the line, and services returned to normal by evening, officials said.
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