The Paris prosecutor's office told the paper that the “gang rape” may have taken place between Friday and Saturday and that authorities were investigating.
Australian Olympic team director of public relations and communications Strath Gordon said in an email on Tuesday that the Australian team in Paris had been informed of the alleged attack.
“Players have been advised not to wear team uniforms in public,” Gordon said, but noted the players had not received any threats since arriving in France and were “continuing to prepare for the Olympics.”
Tony Estanguet, president of the Paris 2024 organising committee, promised last year that the French capital would be “the safest place in the world” when the Olympics begin this summer.
But hosting a major event like the Olympics has raised growing security concerns in France, leaving French authorities struggling with how to balance the safety of the public and athletes with keeping the event open to all.
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During the games, security authorities will be dealing with a range of threats, including terror attacks, cyber attacks, crowd crushes and possible labor strikes.
In June, reports of the rape of a 12-year-old Jewish girl outside Paris sparked protests and condemnation from politicians who linked the incident to widespread anti-Semitism in France.
The Paris Games aim to be the first with full gender equality and the first to significantly reduce carbon emissions, and the first to have an Opening Ceremony held outside a stadium.
Officials have promised that Friday's opening ceremony will be “the biggest in Olympic history” and will kick off with a parade of athletes along the Seine, which was declared clean by Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo last week after months of delays and reports of pollution.
About 15,000 soldiers and 35,000 police officers will be deployed as part of security plans for the Olympics, and up to 22,000 private contractors will be working inside and outside stadiums and sports venues, The Washington Post reported in March.
France's Interior Minister Gérard Darmanin said on Sunday that 24-hour security would be provided for Israeli athletes participating in the Paris Olympics. The security announcement came after far-left French lawmakers said the Israeli team was not welcome and called for protests against the athletes, according to Reuters.
