British comedian and actor Russell Brand charged with rape and sexual assault
Brand was charged with one count of rape, indecent assault and oral rape as well as two counts of sexual assault, said London’s Metropolitan police on Friday.
Rape and sexual assault
Bar managers investigated over sexual assault of 41 women in Belgium
Prosecutors allege suspects spiked victims’ drinks with drugs at venues in Kortrijk between 2021 and 2024Belgian authorities are investigating the alleged rape and sexual assault of at least 41 women whose drinks are thought to have been spiked, with t…
Online gangs of teenage boys sharing extreme material are ‘emerging threat’ in UK
National Crime Agency says such groups are fuelling crimes including fraud, violence and child sexual abuseBlackmailing girls and encouraging suicide: the young British men in online gangsTeenage boys are joining online gangs where they share sadistic …
Conor McGregor’s Trump meeting was ‘sinister’, says Irish rape crisis centre
Charity’s CEO says visit could help rebuild fighter’s reputation after he was found liable for rape in civil caseAn Irish rape crisis charity has complained about Conor McGregor’s meeting with Donald Trump at the White House, describing it as a “sinist…
Cypriot authorities ‘failed’ British teenager who reported alleged gang rape, says ECHR
Court highlights shortcomings in 2019 police investigation amid ‘certain biases concerning women in Cyprus’A British woman who alleges she was gang-raped in Ayia Napa has won a “monumental victory” over Cypriot authorities after the European court of h…
The trial of ‘France’s biggest paedophile offender’ opens in Vannes, Brittany, on Monday
Joël Le Scouarnec is accused of aggravated rape and sexual assault of 299 victims, almost all minors, between 1989 and 2014. This “extraordinary” trial took two years to prepare.
‘My paedophile letters’: French surgeon to stand trial accused of abusing 299 patients, mostly children
Joël Le Scouarnec’s ‘black books’ of handwritten notes in which alleged sexual abuse was recorded are at the heart of case against himWhen two gendarmes knocked on her door in 2019, Marie had no idea that she was about to find herself at the dark heart…
Woman who refuses sex is not ‘at fault’ in divorce in France, rules top EU court
Court of human rights sides with French woman whose husband obtained divorce on grounds she was only person at fault• Europe live – latest updates A woman who refuses to have sex with her husband should not be considered “at fault” by courts in the eve…
France needs ‘clearer’ rape laws that include consent, report finds
MPs say the need for consent-based law was highlighted again by trial of 51 men over abuse of Gisèle PelicotFrance should update its rape law to add a clear reference to consent, a parliamentary report has found, months after French society was shaken …
‘I can’t keep the unthinkable at bay – did he abuse me?’: an exclusive extract from the memoir of Dominique Pelicot’s daughter
Caroline Darian relives the moment she discovered that she was also a victim of her father• ‘How can you rebuild when your father is the worst sexual predator in decades?’ Read an interview with Caroline DarianI enter my parents’ house, draw in the fam…
Dominique Pelicot will not appeal against conviction for drugging and raping ex-wife
Lawyer says he wishes to spare Gisèle Pelicot a new ordeal after marathon trial convicted all 51 accused Dominique Pelicot will not appeal against his conviction for drugging and raping his wife and inviting strangers to rape her, his lawyer has said.B…
At least 15 men in Gisèle Pelicot rape trial appeal against convictions
Court found 51 men guilty including Dominique Pelicot, who was given a 20-year prison sentenceAt least 15 of the men found guilty of raping or sexually abusing Gisèle Pelicot have appealed against their convictions and will be given a second trial.All …
‘She won’t disappear’: Gisèle Pelicot’s lawyers on what she will do next
The 72-year-old is relieved but takes ‘no satisfaction’ in seeing other families broken up, lawyer saysIt took just over four years, and 67 days in court, but Gisèle Pelicot is said to feel “relieved and appeased” about the judges’ decision to convict …
Friday briefing: Will the Gisèle Pelicot case finally change how we view violence against women?
In today’s newsletter: For years, Dominique Pelicot drugged his wife and recruited men to rape her. It could be a turning point in social and legal attitudes to sexual assaultGood morning.Dominique Pelicot, described as one of France’s worst sex offend…
‘The world’s bravest woman’: what the papers say about the end of the Pelicot trial
Papers quote from Gisèle Pelicot’s speech outside court, after her ex-husband Dominique and 50 others were found guilty in France’s biggest rape trialNews of the verdicts in the biggest rape trial in French history fills the front pages in the UK and a…
Gisèle Pelicot has allowed us all to shout out loud: she did it, and we can do it. Gisèle Pelicot is us | Judith Godrèche
The denial of Gisèle’s humanity by her rapists is the denial of violence done to every woman. At her side, we can now look the world in the eyeI am looking at a colour photo of a woman with auburn hair entering the courthouse in Avignon. Around her, th…
Ben Jennings on the Gisèle Pelicot rape trial verdict – cartoon
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Gisèle Pelicot has rewritten her story – and electrified women all over the world. But what about men? | Rebecca Solnit
This was an extraordinary response to unimaginable crimes. Yet true change will only come when men engage with the culture that led us hereWomen who are raped are in many countries – perhaps in most – violated and abused again by the legal system. And …
Who are the men convicted over rape and assault of Gisèle Pelicot?
Dominique Pelicot has been jailed for 20 years for drugging his then wife and inviting men to rape her – and 50 men were found guilty alongside himWarning: this article contains descriptions of rape and sexual assaultFifty men went on trial alongside D…
Gisèle Pelicot gives powerful statement outside court after multiple rape verdicts – video
Gisèle Pelicot has spoken briefly to reporters outside the courtroom after her husband and 50 other men were found guilty of her rape and sexual assault, and sentenced. She said she respects the court and the decision it made. ‘It is with profound emot…
Pelicot rape trial: all 50 men on trial alongside Dominique Pelicot found guilty over rapes and sexual assaults of Gisèle Pelicot – live updates
French court sentences Dominique Pelicot to 20 years in prison and finds 46 other men guilty of rape, two of attempted rape and two of sexual assaultA soldier, a nurse, a lorry driver and dozens more: who are the men accused over rape and assault of Gi…
Gisèle Pelicot: verdicts expected in rape trial that shocked France
Dominique Pelicot likely to be given 20 years for drugging his ex-wife and inviting strangers to rape her over a decadeThe mass rape trial that has sent shockwaves through France and horrified the world is expected to end on Thursday with the convictio…
‘Gisele is waiting for explanations’: the dark questions at the heart of the Pelicot trial
The evidence heard in court has horrified the world. But as the trial comes to an end, the questions it has raised about ‘ordinary’ men, French society, and rape culture have still not been answeredIn the four years after she discovered her husband had…
Swedish prosecutor closes rape inquiry against France’s Mbappe as evidence ‘not sufficient’
A Swedish prosecutor has closed an an investigation into alleged rape and sexual assault by French footballer Kylian Mbappe due to insufficient evidence.
Swedish prosecutor drops rape inquiry reportedly targeting Mbappé
Prosecutors never confirmed the investigation into alleged rape and sexual assault was targeting Kylian Mbappé, whose name was reported by Swedish media.
‘A rapist can be in the family’: how Dominique Pelicot became one of the worst sexual predators in history
Gisèle Pelicot had no idea her husband of 50 years had been drugging her and inviting dozens of men to rape her. As one of the most horrific trials France has ever seen comes to a close, the world is left asking: how could this happen?Warning: this art…
Gisèle Pelicot’s lawyer: ‘This level of depravity? I have never seen anything like it’
Stéphane Babonneau had to watch thousands of videos of Gisèle Pelicot being raped, before disclosing their horror to her. He explains how she found the courage to cope – and to change the world for other survivorsWhen the lawyer Stéphane Babonneau took…
Will Gisèle Pelicot’s courage spell the end of rape victims being put on trial? | Yvonne Roberts
Although the French court case represents a watershed for women, reform of justice systems is vitalGlobally, home is the most dangerous place for women, a United Nations paper reported last week. It was referring to femicide, the killing of women by a …
Gisèle Pelicot is not my adversary, says defence lawyer treading a fine line in mass rape case
Béatrice Zavarro has tried to explain, not excuse, why Dominique Pelicot invited strangers to rape his wife, while hoping the case will lead to social change in FranceBéatrice Zavarro, a diminutive figure in a long black robe and heavy red glasses, who…
London police report 90 victims identified in new Al Fayed investigation
Testimonies against former Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed have multiplied since a BBC documentary was broadcast in September, reporting multiple accusations of rape and sexual assault allegedly committed by the Egyptian businessman, who died in 2023.
Gisèle Pelicot applauded as prosecutors demand 20-year jail term for husband Dominique – video
French prosecutors have demanded that Dominique Pelicot be jailed for 20 years, the maximum available sentence, for having drugged and raped his wife, Gisèle, and invited at least 70 strangers to rape and abuse her over a decade. Dominique Pelicot’s la…
Pelicot trial: young vineyard worker proposed drugging and raping his own mother
Video showed Charly A, one of 51 men accused of raping Gisèle Pelicot, discussing plan with Dominique PelicotA young vineyard worker accused of raping Gisèle Pelicot on six occasions over four years when she had been drugged by her husband also propose…
Women walking Camino de Santiago speak of ‘terrifying’ sexual harassment
Sexual aggression said to be ‘endemic’ on route through Spain, Portugal and France with solo female pilgrims at risk‘I feared for my life’: stories of sexual harassment on the Camino de SantiagoLone female pilgrims walking the Camino de Santiago have s…
‘Did he drug me too?’: how daughter of Gisèle Pelicot feared she had also been a victim of her father
A book by Caroline Darian adds further shocking details of the years of abuse by Dominique Pelicot and many othersWhen detectives told Caroline Darian her father had been lacing her mother’s food and drink with a powerful concoction of drugs and inviti…
Gisèle Pelicot ‘honoured’ to wear scarf from Australian women’s group in court
Scarf made by First Nations women showed Pelicot that others around the world ‘feel the same way’, says lawyerGisèle Pelicot, the French woman who has become a feminist hero after insisting that the rape trial of her ex-husband and 50 other men should …
After Pelicot: how one woman’s courage has pushed France to a turning point
Gisèle Pelicot’s dignity during the rape trial of her husband has inspired not just worldwide support but renewed debate about the lawA message in large capital letters has been posted on a wall opposite the entrance to the Avignon courthouse. “Gisèle,…
Gisèle Pelicot lawyers: trial exposes ‘profound problem’ in attitudes to sexual violence
Dozens of accused deny rape, despite video evidence showing unconscious Gisèle Pelicot snoring loudlyTaking the stand in France’s biggest ever rape trial, Patrice N, 55, an electrician from the southern town of Carpentras, said he was a “jovial” guy an…
Gisèle Pelicot applauded at court after testifying in mass rape trial – video
Supporters applauded Gisèle Pelicot, the victim of an alleged mass rape orchestrated by her then-husband, and gave her flowers as she exited the courtroom after taking the stand to testify in the trial. Pelicot’s former husband, Dominique Pelicot, crus…
A soldier, a nurse, a lorry driver and dozens more: who are the men accused over rape and assault of Gisèle Pelicot?
Dominique Pelicot has admitted drugging and raping his wife. Fifty other men may face up to 20 years in prison if found guilty in case that has shocked the worldWarning: this article contains descriptions of alleged rape and sexual assaultA total of 51…
‘You are our champion’: solidarity springs up for Gisèle Pelicot around the world
From Australia to Belgium, the French woman at the centre of a mass rape trial has galvanised conversations about sexual violenceShe has been hailed as a feminist hero across France, commended for her courage at rallies across the country and applauded…
The anonymous, anything-goes forum at the heart of the Pelicot rape case
Before it was shut down this year, the illicit and unmoderated chat site Coco had been implicated in killings, child sexual abuse and homophobic attacksThe trial of a 71-year-old man has gripped France and horrified the world after he admitted to repea…
France now sees Gisèle Pelicot as a hero – but old myths about rape are harder to change | Rokhaya Diallo
Her ‘dignity’ has won over the nation, but the way we think about male violence must not depend on a ‘perfect victim’Since the beginning of September, the face of a woman from a small village in the south of France has been splashed across global front…
Rape trial verdict of main suspect in McCann disappearance expected in Germany
Christian Brückner has been on trial over alleged rape of three women and two charges of child sexual abuse in PortugalA verdict in the rape trial of a man who is the main suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann is expected to be reached on Tu…
Hundreds join silent march in France in support of Gisèle Pelicot
Women and men march in village where Pelicot’s husband is accused of drugging her and inviting men to assault herA silent march took place in support of Gisèle Pelicot and other female victims of sexual violence on Saturday in Mazan, the village where …
Dominique Pelicot trial hears case against six new rape defendants
Joan K, who was 22 at the time of the alleged assaults, is accused of raping Gisèle Pelicot on two occasionsA French court has begun hearing the cases against six new defendants as the mass rape trial that has sparked horror in the country entered its …
‘Not all men, but a lot of them’: will Gisele Pelicot rape trial finally change France’s attitude to sexual abuse?
The horrifying details of the case that shook the country, and the local mayor’s reaction, show a refusal to confront abuseAs the horror of how Dominique Pelicot drugged his wife, Gisèle, and allowed at least 83 men to rape her continued to unfold in a…
‘Everyone here is disgusted’: the village at the heart of the rape trial that shook France
Residents of Mazan, where Gisèle Pelicot was allegedly drugged and raped, hope the case will raise awareness of sexual violenceOn the narrow streets of stone houses with pastel-blue shutters, residents of Mazan were appalled that this picturesque villa…
Gisèle Pélicot given round of applause outside French court – video
A 71-year-old man accused of drugging his wife so he and dozens of strangers could assault her has told a French court: ‘I am a rapist’, as he returned to the dock after illness. Dominique Pélicot used a cane as he slowly entered the courtroom in the s…
Dominique Pélicot tells French trial: ‘I am a rapist,’ as he returns to dock
Pélicot’s testimony set to be decisive for 50 other men accused of raping his then wife Gisèle over nine-year periodA 71-year-old man accused of drugging his wife so he and scores of strangers could assault her has told a French court: “I am a rapist,”…
‘It’s the height of horror’: protests in 30 French cities in support of Gisèle Pélicot
Outrage at ordeal of woman raped after being drugged by husband leads to marches across the countryHundreds of protesters gathered across France on Saturday in support of Gisèle Pélicot, the woman whose husband drugged her and invited more than 80 men …
Ireland to set up inquiry into sexual abuse at schools run by religious orders
Inquiry to follow preliminary investigation unearthing 2,400 allegations of historic abuseThe Irish government is to set up a statutory commission of inquiry into sexual abuse at schools run by Catholic religious orders after a preliminary investigatio…
Why the Netherlands seems unfazed by sending a child rapist to the Olympics | Renate van der Zee
Very little thought seems to have been given to how Steven van der Velde’s presence might affect victims of sexual abuseFor weeks now, controversy has surrounded the Dutch beach volleyball player Steven van de Velde, who was sentenced to four years in …
‘They turn our farms into rape centres’: Russian mercenaries accused of abuse in Central African Republic
A rise in sexual violence means food prices have leapt in CAR as women and girls say they fear working in the fieldsThe two sisters had just arrived at their family’s field when two Russian mercenaries showed up. They held the girls at gunpoint and too…
Ex-coach on The Voice of Holland sentenced to two years in prison for rape
Rapper is one of several Dutch The Voice stars accused of sexual misconduct, in high-profile case that gripped the countryA Dutch court has sentenced a former coach on talent show The Voice of Holland to two years in prison for rape, in a high-profile …
French prosecutors ask for rape charges against film director Benoît Jacquot
Actors Isild Le Besco and Julia Roy filed complaints for alleged attacks dating back to the late 90sFrench prosecutors have requested film director Benoît Jacquot be charged with raping actors Isild Le Besco and Julia Roy, the Paris prosecutor’s office…
Head of France’s cinema agency sentenced to three years for sexual assault of godson
Dominique Boutonnat to step down from French industry champion CNC, and will serve sentence at homeDominique Boutonnat, the head of France’s powerful National Centre for Cinema and the Moving Image (CNC), was on Friday given a three-year prison sentenc…
Birthday Girl review – Trine Dyrholm superb in mother-daughter cruise ship rape drama
Rocking big hair and fake eyelashes Dyrholm shines in provocative film that deals with issues of sexual assault and female bondingTrine Dyrholm is one of Europe’s finest and hardest-working actors, though she is hardly a household name for viewers beyo…
‘Impunity is growing’: French celebrities call for law to crack down on sexism and sexual violence
Writers, actors, journalists and politicians published petition in Le Monde after learning 94% of complaints were dismissed in 2022More than 140 French public figures from literature, film, journalism and politics are calling for the introduction of a…
From Colombia to Syria justice is possible for survivors of sexual violence in war – but we need the right ‘ecosystem’ | Clara Sandoval
For the first time Ukraine had the right conditions to make reparations to those subjected to crimes such as rape and sexual slavery. What would it take to replicate this globally?Across the world, women and girls continue to be plagued by gross human …
A celebrity politician has been jailed for rape. Will Czech women be listened to now? | Apolena Rychlíková and Jakub Zelenka|
We helped bring Dominik Feri to justice. His trail should have rattled a complacent political establishmentHe was spoken of as an extraordinary talent. A rising star with a million followers on Instagram, who made politics relevant for younger generati…
Reparations to be paid to survivors of wartime sexual violence in Ukraine
First payments to be made during an ongoing conflict is ‘important step towards restoring justice’, says first lady, Olena Zelenska The first reparation payments are to be made in the next few weeks to survivors of wartime rape by Russian soldiers duri…
Russia’s weaponising of sexual violence, and Ukraine’s response, reveals a grim war of values | Kateryna Busol
Ukraine’s fight for justice for women, men and children who suffer terrible sexual crimes shows this battle goes far beyond territoryAtrocities are Russia’s means of warfare. Since the beginning of its aggression against Ukraine in 2014, the Kremlin ha…
French media personality Gérard Miller investigated over rape claims
Prosecutors have received six complaints against Miller, 75, dating from between 1995 and 2005The French psychoanalyst and media personality Gérard Miller is being investigated by French prosecutors over allegations of rape and sexual assault, includin…
Former Barcelona footballer Dani Alves’s rape trial to begin on Monday
Brazilian, 40, has been charged with the rape of a 23-year-old woman in a nightclubThe former Barcelona and Brazil footballer Dani Alves will appear in court on Monday charged with the rape of a 23-year-old woman in a Barcelona nightclub.Alves, 40, fac…
Evoking genius to defend ‘dark stars’ like Gérard Depardieu looks terribly French – and it is | Agnès Poirier
Accusations of rape against the actor have divided the nation, with some referring to him as the ‘last monstre sacré’On 20 December, during a 135-minute-long interview on French television, dedicated to topics such as the new law on immigration, the fu…
Support for Gérard Depardieu comes from the France that is obsessed with its image and stuck in the past | Elsa Court
For many, he represents the nation’s cultural presence. But he is also a cause célèbre for those frightened by #MeToo and progressive changeI remember the moment my Scottish flatmate showed me a clip of Gérard Depardieu in Le Camion by Marguerite Duras…
Celebrities’ letter defending Gérard Depardieu causes outrage in France
Signatories of open letter, who include Charlotte Rampling and Carla Bruni, accused of placing actor above the lawAn open letter signed by 56 prominent figures defending Gérard Depardieu and suggesting the cinema giant – who has been accused of rape an…
More than 50 French actors defend Depardieu despite sexual assault allegations
More than 50 French performers, writers and producers published an essay Tuesday defending film star and national icon Gerard Depardieu amid growing scrutiny of his behavior toward women during his five-decade career. Advocates for sexual abuse victim…
Emmanuel Macron condemns ‘witch-hunt’ against actor Gérard Depardieu
French president criticised for defending film star who is facing allegations of rape and sexual assault
The couch surfing predator: how a group of women were drugged and assaulted – then fought back
Dino Maglio, a former Italian police officer, opened up his home to young women travellers, many of whom suffered at his hands. As scattered as they were, legal action seemed impossible. But as their numbers grew, so too did their determination …When…
Gérard Depardieu accused of rape by Spanish journalist and author
Ruth Baza, 51, said previous allegations against Depardieu provoked ‘flashes’ of memory of alleged 30-year-old assaultA Spanish journalist and author has filed a criminal complaint in Spain against Gérard Depardieu, claiming that the film star raped he…
French actor who accused Gérard Depardieu of sexual assault dies
Emmanuelle Debever, 60, killed herself, French media reportsEmmanuelle Debever, a French actor who was among the first to accuse Gérard Depardieu of sexual assault, died in Paris earlier this month, French media have reported.Debever, who in 2019 accus…
Gérard Depardieu: actor Hélène Darras files complaint of sexual assault
Allegations French star actor groped Darras on set is second official complaint after Charlotte Arnould accused the actor of rape in 2018A second actor has filed an official complaint against Gérard Depardieu, claiming the French star sexually assaulte…
British tech tycoon Lawrence Jones guilty of rape and sexual assault
Founder of web hosting business UKFast convicted of attacking three women
Taki Theodoracopulos given 12-month suspended sentence for attempted rape
Spectator journalist, 87, is found guilty of attacking woman on ski weekend at his Swiss chalet in 2009The journalist Taki Theodoracopulos has been handed a 12-month suspended prison sentence by a judge in Switzerland for an attempted rape in 2009.The …
Gérard Depardieu hits out at ‘media court’ in first comments on rape claims
French actor says in open letter ‘never, ever have I abused a woman’ and says he has been subject of ‘lynching’The French actor Gérard Depardieu has written for the first time about allegations of rape and sexual assault against him, saying in Le Figar…
‘I just want justice’: Ukrainians struggle with hidden war crime of sexual violence
Thousands of adults and children may have survived Russian sexual assaults but few have come forward and far fewer have seen any punishmentWhen Russian forces occupied Halyna’s village near Bucha, she tried to keep a low profile. She stayed indoors and…
‘Avoid getting drunk’: row erupts over rape comments by Italy PM’s partner
Giorgia Meloni called on to condemn partner who appeared to suggest women could avoid rape by not getting too drunkA row has erupted in Italy after a journalist and the partner of Giorgia Meloni appeared to suggest that women could avoid rape by not ge…
When I’m on the beach, leave me and my body alone, s’il vous plaît | Marie Le Conte
Women should be able to swim in the sea without harassment. Marseille’s anti-abuse app helps, but it shouldn’t be necessaryHow often do you think about the fact that you have a body? This isn’t a grand philosophical question, even though it may sound l…