Elderly Man Faces Trial for Decade-long Drugging and Rape Orchestration of His Wife

A 71-year-old Frenchman is on trial for drugging his wife and orchestrating her rape by over 70 men over a decade. The case, which came to light in 2020, involves numerous charges and has sparked a public trial in Avignon, with the victim's family seeking justice and raising awareness.

An elderly Frenchman, aged 71, has gone on trial for enabling the drugging and raping of his wife over a span of nearly ten years. In the courtroom in Avignon, the 72-year-old victim, Gisele, was accompanied by her children as she faced the alleged horrors detailed in court.

Court documents reveal that police have identified a total of 92 sexual assaults perpetrated by 72 men, with 50 accused now facing charges ranging from aggravated rape to attempted rape. The alleged abuser, Dominique, also faces multiple charges including aggravated rape and the recording of these assaults. The initial incidents reportedly began in 2011.

This decade-long series of alleged crimes surfaced in 2020 after Dominique was caught using his phone to film under women's skirts at a shopping center. A subsequent search of his devices uncovered footage of his wife's assaults. Gisele's plight was inadvertently documented by Dominique, which eventually helped build the prosecution's case.

(With inputs from agencies.)