Man who drugged and plotted wife's mass rape questioned over 1990s attacks

Dominique Pelicot, who drugged and raped his past woman Gisèle and recruited dozens of men to maltreatment her implicit astir a decade, has been questioned implicit 2 different attacks dating backmost to the 1990s.

The 72-year-old Frenchman, who was jailed for 20 years successful December, is being investigated implicit the alleged rape and execution of spot cause Sophie Narme successful Paris connected 4 December 1991. He denies the offence.

Investigators besides quizzed him astir the attempted rape of different young spot agent, known by the pseudonym Marion, successful a suburb of the superior connected 11 May 1999.

During his trial, Pelicot admitted to that offence aft DNA grounds taken from humor recovered connected Marion's footwear was linked to him.

However, erstwhile helium was asked astir Sophie Narme during the aforesaid trial, helium said helium had "nothing to do" with the killing.

Investigators person antecedently pointed to similarities betwixt the 2 cases.

In the 1991 murder, the unfortunate was attacked by a antheral who utilized a mendacious sanction to publication a viewing for an apartment. Detectives accidental Pelicot did the aforesaid successful 1999.

The odor of the anaesthetic cause ether was detected by constabulary astatine the 1991 transgression scene. Police accidental it was besides utilized successful the 1999 onslaught bash subdue the victim.

The 2 cases were grouped unneurotic successful September 2022 and person been investigated by a squad which specialises successful unsolved cases and serial crimes.

Pelicot was placed nether ceremonial probe successful October 2022 implicit some crimes.

The criminal lawsuit against Pelicot and the 49 different men accused of raping Gisèle lasted for 3 months and was France's largest ever rape trial.

By the clip it ended, she had go a nationalist fig and was met by crowds of hundreds of radical chanting her name extracurricular court.

Her determination to marque the proceedings nationalist has generated renewed conversations astir rape, consent and sex unit successful France.