In France, the trial of a man suspected of raping and organizing rapes of his wife has begun. The woman was drugged. At least 72 men raped her in her own home over the years, according to investigators. The case, due to the scale of the crime, is causing huge outrage in France. The trial is open.
Dominique P., 71, who is accused of raping his wife, also spent more than a decade on the Internet urging strangers to come to his home and rape his wife, prosecutors say. The victim's lawyers emphasize that the woman was under the influence of such powerful sedatives that she was unaware of the repeated attacks.
Investigators determined, based on a large body of evidence, that at least 92 rapes had been committed by 72 men. Of that group, 50 were identified and charged.
The victim, a 72-year-old woman, only found out about the abuse in 2020, when she was informed by the police. “The trial will be a terrible ordeal for her because it will be the first time she has seen these videos,” said her lawyer Antoine Camus.
Shocking discovery after shopping mall incident
Police investigated Dominique P. following an incident in September 2020, when a security guard caught him peeping on three women at a shopping mall.
Police then discovered hundreds of photos and videos of his wife on his computer, some of which appeared to be unconscious. The photos showed dozens of rapes that occurred in the couple's home, investigators said.
The indictment states that the violence began in 2011. Investigators also found records of conversations on a website in which Dominique P. allegedly urged strangers to come to his house and rape his wife.
The man testified during the investigation that he had given his wife strong sedatives.
Dominique P. is accused of committing at least 92 rapesENEX
The accused group of several dozen men
The accused rapists — who range in age from 26 to 74 — come from a variety of backgrounds, and while prosecutors say most engaged in the acts once, some committed as many as six rapes. Their defense attorneys are trying to convince the court they helped the couple fulfill their fantasies, but Dominique P. testified that they were all aware his wife was being drugged without her knowledge.
The expert said her condition was “closer to a coma than to sleep.” Dominique P., who said he was raped when he was 10, is ready to face “his family and wife,” his lawyer Beatrice Zavarro said.
The man was also charged with murder and rape in 1991, but has pleaded not guilty in that case. He did, however, admit to attempted rape in 1999.
The trial is set to last until December 20. On Monday, the day the trial opened, the victim appeared in court with her three children. Her lawyer said she could have opted for a closed-door trial, but “that's exactly what her tormentors wanted.”
Main image source: ENEX