(MENAFN) A man has been arrested in connection with the alleged attempted rape of a woman on a train near Paris, after footage of the incident went viral.

The victim, 26-year-old Brazilian national Jhordana Dias, told a news agency that the suspect boarded the train earlier this month, pushed her, and attempted to pull down her underwear. Another passenger, hearing her screams, filmed the attack on their phone. The video captures the suspect fleeing as the train arrives at a station.

French transport police arrested the suspect on Friday evening in Mantes-la-Jolie, northwest of Paris. Media reports indicate he claimed to be a 26-year-old Egyptian national but had no identification at the time. He remains in custody.

The incident occurred on 15 October between Choisy-le-Roi and Villeneuve-le-Roi stations, southeast of Paris. The footage shows the suspect in a black tracksuit and cap, with the woman filming audible saying, “you stay there,” as he approaches Ms Dias before fleeing.

The woman who filmed the attack, identified only as Marguerite in French media, has been credited with preventing a more serious assault. Ms Dias, who does not speak French, filed a police complaint with her brother acting as translator.

Following the viral video, two other women told the news agency that they had also been victimized by the same man, reigniting national conversations about women’s safety on public transport in France.

MENAFN26102025000045017640ID1110248385