French Retiree on Trial for Orchestrating Decade-Long R@pe of Drugged Wife
Dominique P., a 71-year-old French retiree, is on trial in Avignon, southern France, for allegedly orchestrating the repeated r@pe of his wife, who was unconscious for a decade. The former EDF employee is accused of drugging his wife and recruiting numerous men online to assault her, a case that has stunned the nation.
Alongside Dominique P., fifty other men are also being tried for their involvement in the assaults. The victim, now in her 70s, remains unidentified and has chosen to face her attackers in open court, despite the option for a closed-door trial. Her lawyer, Antoine Camus, noted that she will relive the trauma she was unaware of until 2020.
The investigation began in September 2020 when Dominique P. was caught filming upskirt shots at a shopping center. Police discovered thousands of images and videos on his computer, showing his wife in a state of unconsciousness, documenting 92 instances of r@pe by 72 men, 51 of whom have been identified.
The abuse reportedly began in 2011 while the couple lived near Paris and continued after their move to Mazan, near Avignon. Dominique P. admitted to using powerful sedatives like Temesta to facilitate the assaults, instructing the men to avoid waking his wife by prohibiting strong scents and requiring them to undress elsewhere.
The accused rapists, aged 21 to 68, include individuals from various professions, such as a forklift driver, a firefighter, and a journalist. While some claim they believed they were participating in consensual fantasy scenarios, Dominique P. maintains that all participants were aware his wife was drugged and unconscious.
The trial, which is expected to continue until December, will explore the extent of the participants’ awareness and understanding of the situation. Dominique P. also faces charges related to a 1991 r@pe and murder and a 1999 attempted r@pe, with psychiatric evaluations describing him as a manipulative individual who exploited his wife as “bait.”