By A disturbing case of systematic sexual abuse has shocked France as a 71-year-old man, identified only as Dominique P, goes on trial for repeatedly drugging and raping his wife, as well as orchestrating her assault by dozens of men over more than a decade.
The trial, which began on Monday at the Parc des Expositions in Avignon, southern France, has horrified the nation due to the scale and gravity of the alleged crimes. Prosecutors have identified at least 92 rapes committed by 72 men, with 50 of these individuals now facing charges alongside the husband.
According to investigators, Dominique P allegedly recruited strangers online to come to his home and sexually assault his wife, who was heavily sedated and unaware of the abuse. The victim, now 72, only learned of the assaults in 2020 when informed by police.
The case came to light after Dominique P was caught secretly filming under women’s skirts in a shopping center in September 2020. A subsequent police investigation uncovered hundreds of pictures and videos on his computer showing his unconscious wife being assaulted. The abuse is alleged to have started in 2011.
Antoine Camus, the victim’s lawyer, described the trial as “a horrible ordeal” for his client, as it will be the first time she sees video evidence of the abuse. “For the first time, she will have to live through the rapes that she endured over 10 years,” Camus told AFP news agency.
Prosecutors allege that Dominique P not only participated in the rapes but also filmed them and encouraged other men using degrading language. He admitted to investigators that he gave his wife powerful tranquilizers, including anxiety-reducing drugs. An expert testified that her state during the assaults “was closer to a coma than to sleep.”
The accused rapists, ranging in age from 26 to 74, come from various backgrounds. While most participated once, some allegedly took part up to six times. Their defense claims they were helping a couple live out fantasies, but Dominique P reportedly told investigators that all participants were aware his wife had been drugged without her knowledge.
Adding to the case’s complexity, Dominique P has also been charged with a 1991 murder and rape, which he denies, and an attempted rape in 1999, which he admitted after DNA testing. His lawyer, Beatrice Zavarro, stated that he is prepared to face “his family and his wife” during the trial.
The victim, supported by her three children, attended the opening day of the trial. Her lawyer noted that she could have opted for a closed-door trial but chose not to, saying, “that’s what her attackers would have wanted.”
As the trial, scheduled to last until December 20, unfolds, it is expected to raise serious questions about consent, the use of technology in facilitating crime, and the psychological impact of long-term, undiscovered abuse. The case has also sparked discussions in France about the need for increased vigilance and support for victims of domestic and sexual violence.
