France Rape Trial: The man who is on trial in France for drugging his wife and inviting dozens of men to rape her over nearly a decade admitted the charges against him on Tuesday, French media reported. He also sought his family's forgiveness during a testimony that was delayed by almost a week due to health issues.
The 71-year-old man, who appeared in court with a cane, reportedly said, "I am a rapist just like all the others in this room... I ask my wife, my children, my grandchildren to accept my apologies. I regret what I did. I ask for your forgiveness, even if it is not forgivable."
The septuagenarian faces charges including rape, gang rape and various privacy breaches by recording and disseminating sexual images. He told the courtroom he had had a difficult upbringing and had been a victim of rape himself.
The number of co-accused, who allegedly raped the woman, stands at about 50. They all are currently aged between 26 and 73. Some of the defendants have said they believed the victim, now 72, was pretending to be asleep and had in fact consented to sex, though his husband disputed that assertion in the courtroom on Tuesday.
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Prosecutors have said the main accused, who was initially arrested after trying to film up a woman's skirt, offered sex with his wife on a website called Coco and filmed the abuse. Investigators found 300 photographs and a video of the acts, according to a court document.
(With inputs from Reuters)