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 thwarts alleged rape attempt 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 images, Jhordana Dias, a 26-year-old Brazilian citizen, can be heard screaming for help while her alleged attacker points at the woman who intervened. He is then seen running away when the train stops. Video of Jhordana’s heartbreaking screams sparked national outrage after it was published by French newspaper Le Parisien.
The alleged attack took place on the morning of October 16, between the Choisy-le-Roi and Villeneuve-le-Roi stations on line C of the Réseau Express Regional (RER) train.
The man reportedly saw Jhordana from the platform and entered the carriage as the doors were closing while she was alone. she said BBC News Brazil: “When I saw him come in, because of the way he had looked at me before, I felt like they were going to attack me.”
The suspect reportedly sat next to her and launched a violent attack, and Jhordana allegedly suffered an attempted rape. “He pulled my pants down. I was fighting with him the whole time and he kept pushing me into 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 shocked.”
Her screams caused a brave woman in another carriage to intervene. The woman took out her cell phone and began filming the suspect, which allegedly forced him to flee.
Jhordana immediately called her brother, Cicero Junior, who has lived in France for six years. he said CNN Brazil that the attack left his sister, who had only 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 police and alerted train security, but the suspect had fled. Cicero told BBC News Brazil that while they initially received police support, they later felt a sense of contempt.
A forensic examination was scheduled for October 29, but the brothers feared that most of their injuries would have healed by then, so they sought a private doctor. “He made the report and confirmed all the attacks. His neck was stiff, there was a bite, a scratch on his face. His face was purple,” Jhordana said.
The suspect has not yet been identified. The incident has brought to light ongoing concerns about women’s safety on public transport in France.
Seven out of ten women in the Île-de-France region – which includes Paris – have been subjected to some type 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 online chat and interpretation services.
