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British journalist allegedly gang raped in refugee camp in Calais
by Dave Keating | August 29, 2008 at 12:44 am | 255 views | 1 comment | 5 recommendations
by Dave Keating
A British journalism student has allegedly been gang raped in the French port city of Calais, while she was in a refugee camp area called 'the Jungle' working on a story. The camp is in a wooded industrial area and houses people who have been trying to cross the English channel to the UK. Calais is the closest point in France to the UK and is the historical crossing point from the continent to the British Isles. For many centuries, Calais belonged to England. Although the UK is part of the EU, it and Ireland are not part of the border-free Schengen zone, which allows passport-free unrestricted travel between all the other EU countries.
Media reports are saying that this young journalist had been into 'the jungle' two or three times before by herself, trying to get in with the refugees and gain their confidence. But it would appear she underestimated just how dangerous the area was.
Police have begun questioning immigrants living in Calais' makeshift refuge camps following the suspected gang rape of a London journalism student.
The woman, who is in her early 30s, told police she believes up to ten men were involved in the attack, which took place on Tuesday in notorious makeshift camp called "The Jungle" in the northern French port's industrial zone.
She is understood to have entered the area by herself with the intention of speaking to immigrants for a photo-reportage of their illegal trafficking via ferries and lorries into the UK.
A police spokesman said: "The woman was a student from London who had travelled to France to highlight problems surrounding clandestine immigration.
"She appeared to be working alone, which was a very dangerous thing to do."
French riot police have been drafted in to help round up more than 100 asylum seekers for questioning, and a forensics team will take DNA samples from dozens of potential suspects.
Calais' local newspaper, La Voix du Nord, reported that the woman, a French-speaking Canadian national studying at a London journalism school, had visited the area before.
It also claimed that she was raped by a single person, who was described as an immigrant who spoke French, after being offered a tour of the camp by one of its inhabitants.
August 29, 2008 at 12:44 am by Dave Keating, 255 views, 1 comment
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Dave Keating
London, United Kingdom
Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (1)
at 05:01 on August 29th, 2008
Dave Keating, I like this story. It's good stuff.