A man in his 60s from Stockport, England, is facing trial in Manchester over allegations that he drugged his wife and arranged for more than a dozen men to sexually assault her while she was unconscious.
The trial, which began on Tuesday, has drawn comparisons with the high-profile case of Gisele Pelicot in France, where a woman was drugged and sexually assaulted by multiple men.
The Stockport man cannot be publicly named under UK law because of legal protections intended to protect the identity of the woman at the centre of the case.
Allegations that span around 20 years
Prosecutors allege that the accused conspired with more than a dozen men over a period of around two decades. According to the allegations, his wife was given drugs that left her unconscious before the sexual assaults took place.
The Manchester court is examining the circumstances surrounding the alleged offences and the involvement of the other men. Evidence is expected to focus on how the alleged abuse was arranged and what happened to the woman while she was unconscious.
The case has attracted widespread attention because of the alleged length of the abuse and the number of people prosecutors say were involved.
Why the case recalls Gisele Pelicot
The proceedings have similarities to the case of Gisele Pelicot, which shocked France and attracted worldwide attention.
Pelicot’s former husband was convicted after admitting that he had drugged her over several years and arranged for other men to rape her while she was unconscious. Her case prompted intense public discussion about consent, sexual violence and drug-facilitated abuse.
The UK trial has likewise drawn attention to the dangers of drug-facilitated sexual assault and the challenges involved in exposing abuse that allegedly takes place within a relationship.
The allegations against the Stockport man remain to be decided by the court. He is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.