Jhordana Dias, 26, a Brazilian national, was allegedly sexually assaulted by a man on a Paris train on October 16 until a fellow passenger’s filming forced the attacker to flee
Hero passenger foils alleged attempted rape on Paris train
A young woman was allegedly attacked and sexually assaulted by a man on a Paris train before a brave passenger rushed to her aid after hearing her screams.
In distressing footage, Jhordana Dias, a 26-year-old Brazilian national, can be heard crying for help as her alleged attacker points towards the woman who intervened. He is then seen fleeing when the train stops. The video of Jhordana’s harrowing cries sparked national outrage after it was published by French newspaper Le Parisien.
The alleged attack took place on the morning of October 16, between Choisy-le-Roi and Villeneuve-le-Roi stations on Line C of the Réseau Express Régional (RER) train.
The man reportedly spotted Jhordana from the platform and entered the carriage as the doors were closing while she was alone. She told BBC News Brasil: “When I saw him coming in, the way he had looked at me before, I felt I was going to be attacked.”
The suspect reportedly sat next to her and launched a violent attack, with Jhordana allegedly suffering an attempted rape. “He pulled down my pants. I was fighting him the whole time, and he kept pushing me down onto the seat,” she told the outlet.
“He started kissing me. The kiss wasn’t reciprocated, so he bit my mouth… scratched my face, slapped my ear, and I was left in shock.”
Her screams prompted a brave woman in another carriage to intervene. The woman took out her mobile phone and began filming the suspect, which reportedly forced him to flee.
Jhordana immediately phoned her brother, Cicero Junior, who has lived in France for six years. He told CNN Brasil that the attack left his sister, who had been in the country for a short time, fighting for her life.
Cicero arrived at the station 15 minutes later, by which time the passenger had already called the police and alerted train security, but the suspect had fled. Cicero told BBC News Brasil that while they initially received police support, they later felt a sense of disregard.
A forensic examination was scheduled for October 29, but the siblings feared most of her injuries would have healed by then, so they sought a private doctor. “He did the report and confirmed all the attacks. My neck was stiff, there was a bite, a scratch on my face. My face was purple,” Jhordana said.
The suspect has not yet been identified. The incident has brought to light ongoing safety concerns for women on public transport in France.
Seven in ten women in the Île-de-France region – which includes Paris – have been subjected to some form of sexual violence on public transport, according to a recent report by the National Observatory on Violence Against Women.
For confidential support, call the 24/7 Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Line on 0808 500 2222 or access chat and interpretation services online.
