A French retiree, Dominique P., is facing trial in the southern city of Avignon on charges of orchestrating the r_pe of his unconscious wife over a period of ten years.Â
The 71-year-old former employee of France’s power utility EDF allegedly drugged his wife into unconsciousness and recruited dozens of men online to r_pe her, a case that has shocked the nation.
Alongside Dominique P., fifty other men are also on trial, accused of participating in the r_pes of the woman, who was so heavily sedated that she was unaware of the abuse.
COURT HEARD
The trial, which began on Monday, is expected to be an incredibly painful ordeal for the victim, now in her 70s, who has chosen not to be identified.
’For the first time, long after the fact, she will have to live through the r_pes that she endured over 10 years,’ said Antoine Camus, one of her lawyers.
Camus added that his client had ’no recollection’ of the abuses, which she only discovered in 2020.
Despite the option to request a closed-door trial, the victim chose to face her attackers in open court.
‘She is completely determined to face them and her husband, with whom she lived for 50 years but whom she knew nothing about,’ her lawyer stated.
The investigation into Dominique P. began in September 2020 when he was caught secretly filming under the skirts of women at a shopping centre.
SOME EVIDENCES
Police found thousands of pictures and videos on his computer, showing his wife unconscious and in vulnerable positions.
These images documented 92 instances of r_pe by 72 men, 51 of whom have been identified.
SINCE 2011
The abuses reportedly began in 2011 when the couple lived near Paris and continued after they moved to Mazan, a village near Avignon.
Dominique P. admitted to drugging his wife with powerful tranquillizers, including Temesta, to facilitate the r_pes.
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THE INSTRUCTIONS HE GAVE
He gave strict instructions to the men to ensure they did not wake his wife, including prohibiting strong odours and requiring them to undress in another room.
The accused rapists, aged between 21 and 68, include individuals from various walks of life, such as a forklift driver, a fire brigade officer, and a journalist.
While some claim they were merely participating in what they believed to be consensual fantasy play, Dominique P. insisted that they all knew his wife was drugged and unaware of what was happening.
The trial, which is set to continue until December, will seek to determine the extent of the participants’ knowledge and understanding of the situation.Â