A French court sentenced a man to 25 years in prison on Saturday for the severe rape and torture of his ex-partner, who decided to speak publicly about her experience, following the example of Gisele Pelicot.
In a case that shocked France, the husband of Gisele Pelicot was sentenced to 20 years in prison last year for organizing the sexual abuse of his wife, who he drugged and brought unknown men to rape her in their home. Dozens of men involved in the case also ended up in prison.
In the most recent case, Guillaume Bucci, a bank manager at the time, is accused of manipulating his partner under the pretext of sadomasochistic sex games from 2015 to 2022 and subjecting her to torture and rape, including sexual relations with unknown men he found online.
The 51-year-old defendant claimed that his ex-partner agreed to everything, stating that he “didn’t think he was causing her pain.”
However, during the trial, the 42-year-old victim Laeticia R., who today has serious health consequences due to the abuse, spoke about the “psychological control” exercised over her by her former partner.
Bucci admitted to multiple acts, including strangulation, burning bodies and acts of bestiality, but claimed they were “consensual sexual games within an intimate relationship”.
He also admitted that he pressured his ex-partner into prostitution. Laeticia R. said during the trial that she “stopped counting” after nearly 500 men.
A court in southeastern France sentenced the 51-year-old to 25 years in prison, ruling that he must serve at least two-thirds of the sentence before becoming eligible for parole.
The prosecution asked for a life sentence because of the “risk of repeating the crime against another woman”.
“487 Men”
Laeticia R. said that when her ex-partner first mentioned sadomasochism to her, she thought it was “hitting or tying up” and that he told her he would stop if she didn’t like it.
However, as she stated, “it was pure violence”, while she lived in “constant fear” that her ex-partner would publish intimate videos if she left him.
– I felt like I was dying inside – the mother of four children said before the court.
According to her testimony, Bucci “gradually” persuaded her to sleep with other men, before ordering her to go to a highway rest stop on Christmas Eve 2015 and “offer herself to unknown men” while he listened in on the phone.
He later forced her into prostitution, arranging sexual relations with “friends, colleagues and strangers”, and demanded that she keep a record of the men she was with.
– I stopped counting at 487 men, and I saw some up to ten times – she said during the trial.
The victim’s lawyer, Philippe-Henry Honegger, said that it was Gisele Pelicot’s example that inspired his client to speak publicly about her case.
Unlike the Pelicot case, the defendant in this trial was not charged with drugging the victim.
(Vijesti.ba)
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