Verdict expected in ‘German Pelicot’ case after husband accused of years of drugging and rape

A verdict is expected Friday in the trial of a 61-year-old German man accused of drugging, raping, and filming his wife without her consent for nearly 15 years. The case has drawn comparisons to the French "Pelicot" case, and the upcoming decision comes exactly one year after the verdict in that earlier trial.

Prosecutors allege the abuse occurred from 2009 to 2024 at the couple's home. The filmed content was then allegedly shared online without the wife's knowledge. The trial is taking place at the Regional Court of Aachen, in western Germany.

The French case involved Dominique Pelicot, who was found guilty of aggravated rape after soliciting strangers online to abuse his wife, Gisèle, over almost a decade. In that case, 49 other men were also convicted of rape or sexual assault. The Pelicot case, which played out in southeast France, sparked a national reckoning on gender-based violence and misogyny.

According to Nur Ja Heisst Ja, a campaign group advocating for changes to Germany's legal definition of rape, the Aachen case is the first of its kind to be heard in German courts. The group's name, which translates to "Only Yes Means Yes," reflects its mission.

Last year, investigative journalists in Hamburg uncovered evidence of a man who had allegedly been sharing videos of himself drugging and raping his wife on an adult website for 14 years. That said, the reality is a bit more complicated. that man died in 2024 and was never charged.

Jill S., an activist from Nur Ja Heisst Ja, told CNN that the Aachen case is "very significant" because it highlights gaps in the German legal system. She requested that her last name not be used to avoid online abuse.

Currently, German law defines consent based on the principle of "no means no." Campaigners argue that this definition fails to protect victims of sexual abuse, particularly those who have been drugged and are unable to explicitly consent.

Nur Ja Heisst Ja is pushing for Germany to adopt a "yes means yes" standard, arguing that the current law places the burden on victims to resist sexual violence. Jill S. stated that the German government does not take issues surrounding sexual violence seriously enough.

The Aachen case also brings attention to the fact that possessing rape content is currently legal in Germany. That said, the reality is a bit more complicated. there is hope for change, as Kathrin Wahlmann, a justice minister in Lower Saxony, has launched a campaign to criminalize the possession of such material.

French lawmaker Sandrine Josso believes that laws must evolve to protect women from online abuse. Josso alleges that she was drugged by French senator Joël Guerriau at a party in November 2023. Guerriau has denied the allegations, and a trial began in January after Josso filed a criminal complaint.

Josso argues that current laws do not adequately address how the internet fuels abuse. She believes social media has enabled sexual abuse by allowing communities to form and share tips, essentially refining and professionalizing their methods. Both Pelicot and the defendant in the Aachen case allegedly used messaging platforms to share abusive content.

Josso likens websites and chatrooms hosting rape content to an "online university of violence" where men can learn how to drug their partners and share footage of their alleged crimes.

Jill S. believes that online platforms and governments must take responsibility for addressing the spread of this content. She expressed dismay that the men involved felt safe sharing and storing this content, and she hopes that Friday's verdict will shatter this illusion of safety and lead to more convictions.