A 61-year-old man has gone on trial in Germany, facing a litany of charges for allegedly drugging, sexually assaulting, and filming his wife without her knowledge over a 15-year period. The case, being heard at the Regional Court of Aachen, has drawn chilling parallels to the historic abuse suffered by French woman Gisele Pelicot.
The Allegations and the Accused
The defendant, identified as Fernando S., is accused of a prolonged and systematic campaign of abuse against his wife from 2009 until the spring of 2024. Prosecutors state that he used medication to sedate his spouse before sexually assaulting her and secretly recording the attacks.
Investigators reportedly discovered extensive video evidence, including footage of the assaults and other secret recordings of his wife in states of undress. Fernando S., who previously worked as a school caretaker in Alsdorf, is also accused of sharing this explicit material with other men in online chat groups and on internet platforms.
According to local media, platforms like Telegram were used, where thousands of users traded intimate images and, in some instances, offered their partners to others for abuse.
Serious Charges and a Secret Confession
The scale of the alleged crimes is reflected in the charges brought against him. Fernando S. faces six counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault, one count of aggravated assault, and 30 counts of violating the most intimate sphere of personal life through photography.
The aggravated assault charge relates to a specific incident where he allegedly sedated his wife to such a degree that she subsequently required medical treatment. The defendant, who was born in Spain and moved to Germany in the 1960s, has been held in custody since his arrest in February.
On the first day of the trial, which opened on November 11, he entered the courtroom with a limp and a hood pulled low over his face. To protect the victim's privacy, the public was excluded from the hearing shortly after it began. Behind these closed doors, local media reports that the defendant confessed to most of the acts.
Echoes of a Previous Ordeal and Awaiting Justice
This harrowing case has prompted comparisons to the ordeal of Gisele Pelicot, a French woman who was drugged and abused by her husband and dozens of other men for nearly a decade. The similarities highlight a terrifying pattern of prolonged, covert abuse facilitated by medication and technology.
The trial is expected to continue over several sessions, with a verdict anticipated in mid-December. The outcome will be closely watched as a landmark case concerning spousal abuse, digital exploitation, and the pursuit of justice for victims who have been violated in the most intimate way.
