Police arrest suspect after man stabs 3 women in Paris metro

PARIS - French police on Dec 26 arrested a man suspected of stabbing three women in the Paris metro as the capital’s end-of-year festivities were in full swing, prosecutors told AFP.

The three women were stabbed at Republique, Arts et Metiers and Opera at around 4pm local time. Their wounds were not life-threatening, the prosecutor’s statement said.

An AFP journalist at the Republique station saw a security team treating a woman who had been wounded in the leg and appeared to be in a state of shock.

“The victims were quickly taken care of by the emergency services,” the RATP authority that runs the transit service said.

Paris police said two of the women attacked were treated by the emergency services and taken to hospital, but they were not in critical condition. A third woman turned up at hospital seeking treatment, they added.

Police used surveillance-camera footage and mobile-tracking tools to locate the 25-year-old suspected attacker in the Val d’Oise region north of Paris, said prosecutors.

“Activating the geolocation of his mobile phone led to his arrest late afternoon in Val d’Oise,” they said.

“The police are on site. Back-up security teams have been deployed to reinforce safety on the line,” it added.

‘Maximum vigilance’

Paris police chief Patrice Faure paid tribute to “the reactivity and the mobilisation” of the investigators that led to the arrest of the suspect. Police arrested him at 6.55pm local time, less than three hours after the first attack, he said.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez congratulated the different police services involved in tracking down the suspect.

Transport police have opened an investigation into attempted homicide and assault with a weapon.

European capitals are especially vigilant during the end-of-year period for any violent incidents, given recent attacks and plots targeting festive or religious gatherings.

Last week, Mr Nunez called for “maximum vigilance” in a message to senior officials.

Due to the “very high level of the terrorist threat” and “the risk of public disorder”, Mr Nunez asked local officials to strengthen security measures across the country with a visible and deterrent presence.

Mr Nunez specifically asked for particular attention to be paid to security on public transport. AFP