Overview

• He was presented to a judge on August 2 and formally placed under investigation for aggravated rape in Dijon.
• Authorities allege he secretly spiked his 44-year-old wife’s drink to impair her consent before assaulting her and encouraging other men to do the same at a libertine gathering.
• The investigation was triggered when a participant, doubting the woman’s discernment during a sexual encounter, alerted police around 2:50 a.m. on August 1.
• Prosecutors have classified the case as rapes by multiple persons with the aggravating factor of administering a substance without the victim’s knowledge, a crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
• Legal experts say the case, evoking parallels with the Mazan trial, highlights ongoing challenges in detecting and prosecuting drug-facilitated sexual violence in France.