Muslim Woman’s Veil Torn Off in Alleged Hate Crime Attack in Poissy, France

The Versailles prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation for violence "committed due to the victim’s real or supposed belonging or non-belonging to a religion," reports BFMTV. The police are working to find the perpetrator of the assault, who is still at large.

French authorities have condemned this latest racist attack. "The prefect of Yvelines, who spoke with the Minister of the Interior, strongly condemns this violent act. He is meeting tonight (Monday, Ed.) with the Council of Muslim Institutions of Yvelines and will discuss security issues for the Muslim community," the prefecture stated in a post on X.

The mayor of Poissy, Sandrine Berno Dos Santos, denounced an "Islamophobic assault" committed on a woman in the presence of her baby who was in a stroller. "As I was able to tell her, in Poissy no form of hatred, racism, or rejection of others has its place. This abject gesture is an attack on our values, our common humanity, and our duty of protection, regardless of one’s religion, origin, or condition," she said indignantly.

In the same vein, the deputy of the constituency and former mayor of Poissy, Karl Olive, expressed "full support to the Muslim community of Poissy and Yvelines": "Such unacceptable acts must be quickly elucidated and their perpetrator severely punished. To this end, I have spoken with the Prefect of Yvelines so that all means of internal security forces are mobilized to identify and apprehend the person responsible for this cowardly and intolerable act."