France has been left in shock after an 80-year-old pensioner was raped and robbed by a Moroccan teenager as she was walking home.
A 16-year-old boy was arrested and taken into custody on Tuesday following the attack in Rennes earlier this month.
The 80-year-old had been returning from an evening out with her daughter when a young man is said to have approached her on a scooter.
The stranger then insisted he escorted her back to her property in the Colombier area of the French city.
After the 80-year-old refused, the young man is said to have followed her home.
Once she entered the building, she was attacked by the man, who pinned her against the wall before forcibly kissing her.
The teenager then raped her.
Following the sick attack, the stranger is said to have stolen a piece of gold jewellery from the woman before fleeing the scene.
The brutal attack took place in the French city of Rennes earlier this month
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French police promptly launched an investigation into the events, reviewing CCTV footage and taking DNA samples.
The suspect in custody has been described as a Moroccan national believed to have been born in the north African country in June 2010.
He is believed to be living in France legally.
A police source told CNEWS the teenager was in possession of cocaine at the time of his arrest.
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French police promptly launched an investigation into the events, reviewing CCTV footage and taking DNA samples
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His custody was extended on Wednesday, "in view of a court appearance scheduled for tomorrow," Rennes prosecutor Frederic Teillet said.
The 16-year-old has been described by French authorities as unaccompanied and homeless.
The Division of Territorial Crime (DCT) has now taken control of the probe, which remains ongoing.
The brutal attack comes just weeks after a bombshell new survey revealed that the vast majority - 72 per cent - of the French public believe crime has spiralled out of control in the country.
A police source said that the teenager was allegedly in possession of cocaine at the time of his arrest
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The poll by CSA for Le Journal du Dimanche last month found that Republicains voters believe the notion most strongly - with 92 per cent - followed closely by 83 per cent of National Rally supporters.
It also revealed that the majority of backers of President Emmanuel Macron's own party - 62 per cent - now believe crime in France is spiralling out of control.
The survey even found that the majority of left-wing French residents agree that authorities are losing their grip on crime, with 55 per cent in total.
Some 58 per cent of backers of Jean-Luc Melenchon's far-left La France Insoumise party, alongside just over half of Socialist supporters.
The only cohort who did not believe that France is facing a crisis akin to Mexico were Green Party voters, with just 45 per cent.