A bodyguard from Lyon is set to stand trial on charges of sedating and raping his long-term partner, following online contact with Dominique Pelicot, the Frenchman convicted of drugging his wife and inviting men to rape her. The trial begins on Thursday.
The accused, who worked as an international bodyguard for high-profile clients at film festivals and trips abroad, was arrested in 2023. Investigators found communications between him and Pelicot during initial probes into Pelicot in 2020. The 73-year-old Pelicot is serving 20 years for drugging his then-wife Gisèle and orchestrating her rape by dozens of men over nearly a decade.
The bodyguard denies the charges, according to his lawyer Gabriel Versini-Bullara, who argued that contact with Pelicot did not make him a “disciple”. However, investigating magistrates allege the man sought to benefit from Pelicot’s “experience” in drugging and raping his wife. The summary notes that the victim was deeply sedated, “ruling out all form of consent”.
The victim told investigators she experienced “great fatigue” over three years, along with heart issues, dizziness, and several blackouts. The bodyguard has also admitted separate charges of possessing and distributing child abuse imagery.
