A French man, Dominique P, is currently on trial for drugging and raping his wife, as well as orchestrating the rape of her by numerous other men over a period of more than a decade.
The 71-year-old defendant is accused of recruiting strangers online to sexually assault the victim at their home, with police identifying at least 92 rapes involving 72 men.
Fifty of these men are also facing trial alongside Dominique P.
The victim, now 72, was unaware of the abuse until 2020 when police informed her.
Her lawyer, Antoine Camus, described the trial as “a horrible ordeal” for her, as she will be confronted with video evidence of the abuse she endured.
The investigation began after Dominique P was caught secretly filming women at a shopping center in September 2020.
Police discovered numerous images and videos on his computer showing his wife unconscious and alleged to depict multiple assaults.
Dominique P admitted to giving his wife powerful tranquillisers but claimed that everyone involved knew she was drugged.
The accused men, aged 26 to 74, are from various backgrounds. While most participated once, some engaged in the abuse multiple times.
Their defense argues that they were helping fulfill the couple’s fantasies, but Dominique P admitted to filming and encouraging the assaults.
In addition to the current charges, Dominique P is also facing charges for a 1991 murder and rape, which he denies, and an attempted rape in 1999, which he confessed to after DNA evidence came to light.
The trial, held at Parc des Expositions in Avignon, will continue until December 20.
On the trial’s opening day, the victim attended court with support from her three children.
Her lawyer noted that despite the option for a closed trial, she chose to proceed publicly to avoid giving her attackers what they would have wanted.
Source-BBC
