In the early hours of Sunday, around 1:30 a.m., Manon experienced a shocking ordeal in the streets of Bordeaux when she felt the prick of a hypodermic needle in her arm. “Someone tapped my left forearm. I started to feel numb in the muscle, like you do when you get a vaccine. After about 30 minutes, the injection mark appeared,” she recounted in an interview with CNN.
Manon, 22, was among nearly 150 individuals across France who reported similar incidents during a nationwide street music festival that attracted millions. Although it remains uncertain what substance was injected or who was responsible, the French interior ministry is investigating reports of potential date-rape drugs like Rohypnol or GHB being used in these “needle spiking” incidents.
Prior to the festival, a feminist influencer had raised alarms on social media, warning that there were calls for the targeting of women with syringes. After spending several hours in the emergency room, Manon took to TikTok to share her experience. “It was important for me to raise awareness, because I hadn’t seen any testimonies from people who had been injected,” she explained. For safety reasons, she chose not to disclose her last name.
“We had been told on social media to be careful, but I think people want to know more – how it happens, the symptoms, how it unfolds. It reassured me to talk about it, because at the time, I was completely alone,” she added.
Once home from the hospital, Manon decided to file a police report. “It’s important because if we’re too lax, if we say, ‘oh, others will file complaints’, nothing ever changes. I told myself maybe it can have an impact,” she stated.
Since the incidents, French police have apprehended 14 men, aged between 19 and 44, who include both French citizens and foreign nationals. However, as of Tuesday, no arrests have been directly linked to the needle spiking cases, according to police spokeswoman Agathe Foucault.
Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin indicated that while the police have not identified specific perpetrators, the incidents are being treated as confirmed developments. “The police have not identified any perpetrators behind the injections, but the incidents are confirmed,” he told CNN affiliate BFMTV.
Darmanin also announced that authorities would take action against those who have incited such attacks on social media. “We are implementing a criminal policy to prosecute those responsible on social media for these very unhealthy injection games targeting women,” he noted.
The influencer Abrège Soeur, who previously warned about the potential for violence, emphasized that the goal of the attackers was not just to drug women but to create an atmosphere of fear. “When people start saying that there will be needle attacks, it spreads in the form of rumor—some people mention it in group chats, others pick it up, it just gets amplified,” she explained. “We need to help women feel safer.”
Facing a three-week wait for her toxicology results, Manon expressed her determination to not be defeated by the incident. “The Fête de la Musique is meant to be a time of good vibes, music, dancing, having fun. Someone wanted to ruin that moment, to kill that spirit. I told myself I wasn’t going to let it defeat me. I don’t want to be sad or angry. I don’t want to let them win.”