French Man on Trial for Letting Dozens Assault His Drugged Wife
A French retiree began trial on Monday, accused of permitting numerous men to sexually assault his drugged wife, in a case that has shocked the nation.
The 71-year-old suspect, a former employee of EDF, faces charges alongside fifty other men, all of whom are also being tried in Avignon. Police have documented 92 instances of rape involving 72 men, of whom 51 have been identified. The men, ranging in age from 26 to 74, are accused of assaulting a 72-year-old woman who, according to her lawyers, was so sedated she remained unaware of the abuse that spanned a decade.
Judge Roger Arata has decided that all hearings will be open to the public, fulfilling the victim’s request for “complete publicity until the end,” as reported by her lawyer, Stephane Babonneau. Another lawyer, Antoine Camus, indicated that the trial will be a harrowing experience for the victim, who will confront the trauma of the abuse she only discovered in 2020.
The woman, accompanied by her three children, opted against a private trial, preferring transparency over what she believes would be her attackers’ preference for secrecy.
The investigation into Dominique P. began in September 2020 after he was caught filming under women’s skirts at a shopping center. Police later discovered hundreds of disturbing images and videos on his computer, showing his wife, unconscious and in a fetal position. These images reportedly depicted numerous assaults occurring at their home in Mazan, a village near Avignon.
Dominique P. reportedly used a website called coco.fr to recruit men for
