Under the given circumstances, a man's wife was sexually assaulted by 72 other men, after she was drugged.
An appalling legal matter is currently being addressed in France. In Avignon, a trial has commenced against a 71-year-old man, Dominique P., along with 50 other defendants, involving a total of 92 incidents of sexual assault. The facts surrounding this case are staggering.
The victim in these cases happened to be Dominique P.'s wife, Gisele P., aged 71. Investigators believe that the man frequently rendered his wife unconscious without her knowledge by administering potent medication, and subsequently allowed various individuals to sexually assault her. These men were identified through an illicit website.
Among the accused, 18 were apprehended, with ages ranging between 26 and 74. The ranks of the accused include a firefighter, a nurse, a prison guard, and a journalist. The husband did not demand payment from these men but was driven by his carnal desires. He also participated in the acts and recorded them. The defendant has confessed to the charges.
Potentially unsuspecting accomplices?
Dominique P. allegedly instructed the men to avoid any scent of perfume or cigarette smoke to avoid waking his wife. They were also advised to warm their hands under running water. It is reported that most of the co-accused participated only once, but there were some who took part as many as six times. According to experts, they do not display any signs of psychological disorders, but are driven by feelings of omnipotence.
Some of them asserted to investigators that they believed they were participating in the couple's erotic games. However, Dominique P. maintains that all of them were aware that the woman was under the influence of medication and unconscious. "Each one of them had the capacity to withdraw and leave the scene," investigators stress.
Over 700 videos discovered on the man's computer depict 72 men who were involved in the abuse. However, not all of them could be identified. The acts took place between 2011 and 2020.
Open trial
Gisele P. discovered her husband's actions four years ago, after he was caught videotaping women's skirts in a shopping mall. The couple had been together for nearly 50 years. Gisele P. has no recollection of these events and will experience the assaults for the first time, ten years after they occurred, according to her legal team.
At the trial's onset, the presiding judge, Roger Arata, dismissed a plea to conduct the trial in private. The trial should be "fully public and in its entirety," stated the lawyer, Stephane Babonneau, who represents the victim. The prosecution had requested a private trial to prevent the public viewing of the husband's filmed material. However, the victim insisted upon a public trial.
The separated wife appeared in court accompanied by her three children. Her lawyer told TF1 that she desired to face the accused directly. The trial is expected to continue until December 20th. The defendants are accused, among other things, of sexual misconduct with individuals who are incapacitated. This trial may rekindle debate in France about the handling of alleged rapes associated with so-called 'date-rape' drugs.
The Commission will likely be involved in overseeing the trial's proceedings, ensuring a fair and just outcome for all parties involved. Even some of the unsuspecting accomplices might face charges, as their participation in the crime is being thoroughly investigated.
