Two French policemen are on trial on charges of gang-raping a Canadian tourist at police headquarters in Paris almost five years ago.

The officers were working in the BRI anti-gang force at the time and are accused of raping the woman at 36 Quai des Orfevres - a famous address depicted in many crime films and novels.

They deny the allegations and say the alleged victim consented to sexual interactions during an evening when a lot of alcohol was consumed.

The woman, Emily Spanton, who waived her right to anonymity, attended the trial's first day at a Paris court and said she met a group of officers near the Seine River in an Irish pub in April 2014.

She said the officers invited her for a night tour of police headquarters, where she claimed she was forced to drink whisky, perform oral sex and was raped several times.


She left the building about 90 minutes later, barefoot and without her tights.

Court documents said the men's DNA was found on her underwear.

President of the court Stephane Duchemin said a medical examination performed after she filed a lawsuit showed she had bruises on several parts of her body and a gynaecological lesion.

The examination also showed she was drunk and had "between 2.6 and 3.3 grams of alcohol per litre of blood in her body" when the alleged rapes took place.

At first, Ms Spanton said she had been raped by four officers before changing her testimony to accuse three officers but only two policemen have been brought to court.

The case was originally thrown out but the Paris prosecutor and Ms Spanton won their appeal to have it brought to a trial.

One of the officers admitted he received oral sex but claims he did not force Ms Spanton.

The other at first denied any sexual relationship then admitted some mutual touching.

The officers face up to 20 years in prison if found guilty.