An attack on a 21-year old lady who was beaten while sunbathing in a park in France has sparked off outrage.
Outrage has trailed an attack on a woman who was beaten while sunbathing in a park because she was wearing a bikini.
The 21-year-old victim, who has been identified as Angelique Slosse, was beaten up by a gang of women when she was sunbathing with two friends.
It had been claimed the attack in Reims, eastern France, was motivated by the disgust at the 'immoral' outfit offending the religious beliefs of the alleged attackers.
However, park authorities denied there was any moral or religious motivation behind the attack while police described it as a ‘banal story of a fight between young girls from rival gangs’.
Police said Miss Slosse got into an argument after another young woman told her to put her clothes on. It was windy and overcast at the time, and a number of youngsters took sides in the dispute, and began fighting.
Julie Galisson, the local police superintendent, said: "It was a fight between young girls which degenerated after one of the authors of the aggression said: 'Get dressed, it’s not summer'. One of those arrested would not leave her alone and this degenerated into violence," Mrs Galisson said.
The police officer added: "As is clear from the statement of the victim and those implicated, there is no element of a religious or moral element which explains the aggression."
The attack left Miss Slosse with severe bruising, and was unable to go to work the next day.