A serving French police officer has been handed a significant prison sentence after being found guilty of a horrific sexual attack on a British tourist holidaying in the Dordogne region.
The court heard how the off-duty officer, named only as Nicolas R. due to French privacy laws, encountered his victim, a 38-year-old British woman, in a severely intoxicated state outside a bar in the town of Périgueux. Exploiting her vulnerability, he offered to escort her back to her accommodation.
Instead of ensuring her safety, the officer led the woman to his own home where he brutally raped her. The attack only came to light when the victim, traumatised and confused, managed to return to her friends and report the assault.
During the trial, the prosecution detailed how the 44-year-old gendarme initially denied any sexual contact took place. However, overwhelming evidence, including DNA, completely contradicted his account and firmly placed him at the scene of the crime.
In a damning conclusion, the court sentenced Nicolas R. to seven years behind bars. In a further blow, he has been officially dismissed from the French police force and banned from contacting the victim for a period of five years.
This case has sent shockwaves through the local community and raised serious questions about the conduct of those entrusted with public safety.
