The morning of October 15, 2025, began like any other for Jhordana Dias, a 26-year-old Brazilian woman who had arrived in France just two months earlier, hoping to find peace after fleeing domestic violence in her home country. But as her suburban train rattled along the tracks between Choisy-le-Roi and Villeneuve-le-Roi stations, southeast of Paris, her search for safety took a harrowing turn that would soon ignite a nationwide debate about women’s security on public transportation.
According to multiple reports from AP, Le Parisien, and The Telegraph, the alleged attack unfolded in a nearly empty carriage. As the train doors dinged to close, a man—later identified as a 26-year-old Egyptian national—jumped aboard. Dias, alone in the carriage, was suddenly confronted. She later told Le Parisien, “When the doors dinged to close, the attacker jumped on the train, and then I realised I was alone with him. And that’s when the attacks began. He pulled down my trousers, choked me, and tried to kiss me by force. I didn’t want to kiss him.”
What followed was a terrifying ordeal. Dias recounted being pushed, slapped, bitten, choked, and having her underwear pulled down as the man attempted to sexually assault her. French media reported that the assailant also tried to force her to kiss him. Dias fought back fiercely, her survival instincts kicking in. She managed to call her brother immediately after the attack, her face bruised and cut, as later seen in circulating images. Her brother, who had helped her escape violence in Brazil, was left reeling. “She came to France in search of peace, but she did not find it here. We demand justice for what happened to her,” he told Le Parisien.
The attack might have escalated further had it not been for the intervention of another passenger, known in French media only as Marguerite. Hearing Dias’s screams, Marguerite rushed over and began filming the scene with her mobile phone. The footage, which would soon go viral, captured the suspect—dressed in a black tracksuit and cap—fleeing the train as it arrived at the next station. In the background, Marguerite can be heard shouting, “You stay there!” as she attempted to deter the man from approaching her before he bolted down the platform.
Marguerite’s quick thinking and courage have since been widely credited with preventing a more serious assault. Dias herself and her brother both expressed gratitude to the passerby, who not only documented the incident but stayed with Dias and contacted police at her brother’s request. As the video spread rapidly across social media platforms, it ignited a groundswell of public outrage and reignited the debate over the safety of women on France’s public transport systems.
Following the incident, Dias—who does not speak French—filed a police complaint with the help of her brother, who translated her testimony. She was examined by a forensic doctor and put on five days of sick leave to recover from her physical and psychological injuries. The Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs also announced it was following the case closely and providing consular support to Dias as she navigated the aftermath of the attack in a foreign country.
The investigation quickly gathered momentum. French transport police, using surveillance footage, witness statements, and phone data, tracked the suspect to Mantes-la-Jolie, northwest of Paris. On the evening of Friday, October 24, officers arrested a man matching the description. He had no identification on him but claimed to be a 26-year-old Egyptian national. According to the Créteil prosecutor’s office, the suspect admitted to having an altercation with Dias but categorically denied any sexual assault or attempted rape. He had no prior record with the French justice system.
Prosecutors announced that the man would be brought before the Créteil prosecutor on Monday, October 27, with possible preliminary charges of attempted rape and a request for pre-trial detention. The case, still under investigation, has gripped France not only because of the brutality of the alleged assault but also because of its wider implications for women’s safety in public spaces.
In the days following the viral video, two other women came forward, telling Le Parisien that they too had been victimized by the same man. Their accounts fueled even more impassioned discussions, with many women sharing their own experiences of harassment and assault on French public transport. According to a recent government report cited by AP and CBS News, the number of victims of sexual violence on public transport in France has surged by 86% since 2016—a statistic that left many wondering just how safe the country’s trains and buses really are.
The incident has sparked intense debate among politicians, activists, and everyday commuters. Some have called for increased police presence on trains and in stations, while others have urged for more robust support systems for victims and tougher penalties for perpetrators. Critics argue that, despite repeated promises from authorities, not enough has been done to address the root causes of sexual violence or to make public transport genuinely safe for women. Supporters of reform point to the bravery of Marguerite and other bystanders as proof that community action can make a difference, but they also stress that such heroism should not be necessary in the first place.
Meanwhile, the Brazilian community in France and abroad has rallied around Dias, expressing solidarity and demanding justice. The Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ involvement underscores the international dimensions of the case, as Dias’s story resonates with women who have fled violence only to encounter new dangers in their adopted countries.
As the suspect awaits his next court appearance, the case continues to dominate headlines and social media feeds in France. The viral video, though deeply unsettling, has become a catalyst for renewed calls to action on women’s safety. For Dias and the many others who have suffered in silence, the hope is that this moment will lead to lasting change—not just in policy, but in the everyday reality of riding a train in France.
The story of Jhordana Dias—her courage, the quick actions of a stranger, and the outpouring of public support—has struck a nerve in a country grappling with the realities of gender-based violence. The outcome of the legal proceedings remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: the conversation about women’s safety on public transport in France is far from over.
