Avignon monster

72-year-old now also targeted for murder

A court drawing shows the main defendant Dominique P.(Bild: APA/AFP)

France is currently dealing with a particularly shocking case: a man had his wife drugged and abused by dozens of men. He is now accused of further rapes and two murders.

The victims of the cases, some of which date back decades, are women who worked for real estate agencies, reported the newspapers "Le Parisien" and "Midi Libre". The perpetrator attacked his victims during viewings or in the agencies.

The 72-year-old is currently under investigation for the rape and murder of a 23-year-old woman in Paris in 1991 and the attempted rape of an 18-year-old woman in the Paris region in 1999. In both cases, the perpetrator is said to have used ether to anaesthetize the victims. While the pensioner is said to have admitted to the last crime, in which he was convicted by DNA traces, he categorically denies the murder.

Analysis software searched for unsolved cases
A special unit of the French police has also used analysis software to search for unsolved old cases for which the accused could be considered on the basis of his actions. Four violent assaults on women and a murder of a woman from 1994 to 2004 are now being investigated, as reported by "Le Parisien" after inspecting investigation documents. DNA traces were secured in three of the cases, which could prove the suspect's possible involvement in the crime.

Searched online for rapists for wife
The 72-year-old has been on trial in Avignon, southern France, since the beginning of September for allegedly repeatedly drugging his wife, who has since divorced him, over a period of almost ten years. He then allegedly allowed her to be raped in front of him by strangers he had previously made contact with via an online platform. The 50 accused alleged perpetrators and the husband face up to 20 years in prison for the abuse.