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.

Ukraine foreign minister to announce departure from government

Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, is also leaving his post as part of a major government reshuffle after two and a half years of war.

The 43-year-old career diplomat took over the Foreign Ministry in 2020 before Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine.

Parliamentary Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk on Wednesday posted a photograph on his Facebook page of Kuleba’s handwritten request to step down from the government.

The speaker said that the request would be discussed at a future parliamentary session.

Kuleba’s application is one of numerous resignations since Tuesday that were also published on Stefanchuk’s Facebook page.

Olexander Kamyshin, who is responsible for the defence industry, Justice Minister Denys Maliuska and Environment Minister Ruslan Strilets also announced their resignations.

Vitaly Koval, the head of the State Property Fund responsible for privatisation, also wants to leave office.

The resignations of the deputy heads of government Olha Stefanishyna and Iryna Vereshchuk also emerged late on Tuesday.

Vereshchuk is responsible for refugee issues, while Stefanishyna is responsible for Ukraine’s European integration.

President Volodymyr Zelensky announced a reshuffle of the government in July.

The aim, he said, was to make the government more effective as the war against Russia continues.

Five ministries are already being run by acting ministers.

A list of new appointees is expected to be announced at a meeting of the Zelensky’s party on Wednesday.

Current Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has been in office since March 2020.

French President Emmanuel Macron has announced the dissolution of the National Assembly, following defeat of his party in 2024 European Parliament (EP) elections, according to local media report.

“I have decided to give you back the choice of your parliamentary future through the vote. I am therefore dissolving the National Assembly,” Macron said in a short speech.

“This is a serious, weighty decision. But it is above all an act of trust,”
He added that the elections to the National Assembly are to take place in two rounds on June 30 and July 7.

Macron’s Renaissance party gained 15.2 per cent of the votes in 2024 European Parliament elections, far behind far-right National Rally who received 31.8 per cent.

“The unprecedented gap between the presidential majority and the leading opposition party reflects a stinging rejection of the policies led by Emmanuel Macron,” RN President Jordan Bardella said after the EP elections results were unveiled, quoted by local media.

“We’re ready for it. I call on French people to join us in forming around the RN, a majority in the service of the only cause that guides our steps: France.” parliamentary party leader of RN, Marine Le Pen, said on Sunday evening on social media platform X.

‘’The EP elections were held from June 6 to June 9, with voters of the 27 EU member states selecting 720 lawmakers to the 10th’’.