A 49-year-old British national faces an attempted murder charge in France after allegedly raping and stabbing a woman repeatedly in the neck during a violent attack in Nice. The assault took place in the early hours of Monday morning in an apartment block on Avenue Georges Clemenceau, near the city's main railway station.
Victim in intensive care
The victim, a 60-year-old woman, remains in intensive care with severe neck injuries after being stabbed at least three times. Police were alerted to the scene just before 1am after a neighbour heard the victim's screams and rushed to intervene.
Neighbour intervenes
The 33-year-old resident confronted the attacker in the building's lobby, despite the suspect threatening to kill him. Speaking to local news outlet Nice Matin, the neighbour said: "At first, I thought it was just two neighbours who had got into an argument. I could see him hitting someone who was no longer reacting. I had not seen the knife."
The suspect reportedly warned: "Don't f****** come near me, or I'll kill you." The neighbour managed to disarm and subdue the attacker on the floor until police arrived, while simultaneously trying to stop the victim's heavy bleeding.
Mayor praises heroism
Nice Mayor Eric Ciotti praised the neighbour's bravery in a statement on X: "Tonight in Nice, a woman savagely attacked with a bladed weapon escaped the worst thanks to the heroic courage of one of her neighbours. I salute this man... as well as the swift action of the police patrol. An exemplary act that surely saved a life."
The suspect, who sustained minor injuries during the struggle, remains in custody. Police believe the attacker knew the victim and had visited the building multiple times prior to the assault. Under French law, none of those involved can be named while the criminal investigation continues.
