Arrests made in Geneva nightclub attack on women

A demonstration against violence against women following the attacks in Geneva Keystone

Three men have been arrested in France as part of an investigation into a savage assault in Geneva last month on several women. The violence sent shock waves through social media, newspapers and politics. 

Those arrested had been brought before an investigating judge, the high court of Annecy said on Tuesday, confirming a report in the Dauphiné Libéré, a French news website. The French authorities are set to provide more information on the case on Wednesday, it added. 

According to the Dauphiné Libéré, three men were arrested and placed in police custody on Monday morning. Two of them were already known to the police, it said. The suspects would be tried by the investigating judge for group violence and attempted homicide. 

In the early hours of August 8, a group of men attacked a woman outside a nightclub in Geneva. Four women who tried to help the victim were also attacked. All five, aged 22-33, were taken to hospital, two with serious injuries, one of whom ended up in a coma. 

The Geneva public prosecutor quickly identified the alleged assailants, who live in France, and has asked the Swiss Federal Office of Justice to delegate the case to France due to the suspects’ nationality, which prevents their extradition to Switzerland.