Horror in Avignon: Woman Testifies Against Husband Who Drugged Her for Dozens of Men to Rape

In a shocking case that has gripped the southern French city of Avignon, a 71-year-old woman gave harrowing testimony in court, recounting years of abuse after her husband allegedly drugged her and allowed dozens of men to rape her.

“The image is unbearable, I’m lying lifeless in my bed, asleep, and they’re about to rape me,” the woman told the court. “It’s a barbaric scene. They look at me like a bag of rubbish, it’s unbearable, and I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to get up again.”

Her 72-year-old former husband, who she has since divorced, is standing trial, accused of orchestrating the horrific abuse over a period of 10 years by drugging his wife and arranging for other men to assault her. Fifty men have been accused of participating in the assaults, with 18 currently in custody.

According to the indictment, the husband, a pensioner, made contact with the men online. While no money was exchanged, he reportedly gained satisfaction from watching the rapes. The crimes were discovered after the man was arrested for filming under the skirts of women in a supermarket, leading investigators to uncover hundreds of videos of the assaults on his computer.

The woman, who appeared in court alongside her three children, bravely confronted the accused, some of whom claimed they were unaware that she had been drugged and believed she was pretending to be asleep as part of a consensual game.

“These people knew very well what they were doing and what a lethargic state I was in,” the woman testified, rejecting the defence’s claims.

The abuse only came to light after her husband’s arrest, although she had long complained of memory lapses and extreme fatigue, unaware that her husband had been drugging her.

“I was sedated, like before going into the operating theatre. Afterwards, you can no longer remember the operation. That’s exactly what happened to me,” she told the court.

While 72 men were recorded assaulting the woman, authorities have been unable to identify all the perpetrators from the videos. The trial continues, with most of the accused having admitted to their involvement.

A Sharia Court in Kano State on Monday remanded two housewives in a correction centre for assaulting their neighbour.

The police charged Sa’adautu Abubakar, 33, and Amina Abdulkadir,20, all of Mandawari Sabon Titi, in Gwale Local Government Area of Kano, with criminal intentional hurt and intimidation.

When the charge was read to them, they both pleaded not guilty.

The Judge, Malam Umar Lawal-Abubakar, ordered that they should be remanded in the  Goron Dutse correction centre in Kano.

He adjourned the case until Sept 18 for further mention.

Earlier, the Prosecutor, Insp Abdullahi Wada told the court that the complainant, Firdausi Aliyu who also resides in Mandawari Sabon Titi, reported the matter at the Mandawari Police Station on Aug 28.

Wada said that the complainant had a misunderstanding with the defendants about some money.

He said that the defendants attacked Aliyu with a pestle and also bit her hand which led to serious injuries.

The prosecutor said the offence contravened the provisions of Section 158 of the Penal Code.

The police in Lagos on Wednesday arraigned a 38-year-old man, Lucky Ugwauka, in Badagry for allegedly defiling his 10-year-old daughter.

Ugwauka, whose address was not provided, is charged with defilement, before a Badagry Chief Magistrates’ Court.

He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The prosecutor, Insp Ayodele Adeosun, told the court that the defendant committed the offence on Aug.16 at 6.00.p.m, at Abapasha St. in the Ojo area of Lagos.

Adeosun said that the defendant defiled his 10-year-old daughter.

He said that he threatened to kill her if she revealed his sexual escapades.

He said that the offence contravened the provisions of Sections 139, 263 and 58 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

The Chief Magistrate, Mr Patrick Adekomaiya, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N500, 000 with two sureties in like sum.

Adekomaiya ordered that the sureties should be level 14 officers in the Civil Service.

He adjourned the case until Sept. 30 for mention.