Warning: This story contains descriptions of sexual abuse.
A man is on trial in southern France accused of drugging and sexually abusing women, as well as filming some of the assaults.
Dance teacher and self-taught hypnotherapist Cyril Zattara is charged with raping 14 women over a decade, as well as allegedly secretly filming around 20 other women.
Zattara, who has been held in detention awaiting trial since 2021, has admitted to 10 rape charges.
The trial is being held behind closed doors in Aix-en-Provence at the request of one of the alleged victims, and is expected to last at least two weeks. Other victims have expressed a desire for open proceedings to amplify their voices.
Investigators allege that Zattara would slip sleeping pills into women's drinks before assaulting them and often targeted women he was either friends with or in intimate relationships with.
Evidence collected from his computer reportedly displayed photos and videos of alleged victims in lethargic states. One woman, who complained about Zattara after attending a hypnosis session in 2019, recounted waking up after drinking wine he had provided, with memories of having been raped and losing consciousness.
Analysis of the woman's DNA found traces of Zattara under her fingernails and on her underwear, and toxicology reports indicated the presence of potent sedatives in her system.
This trial follows the serious case of Dominique Pelicot, who was sentenced to 20 years for drugging and raping his ex-wife while facilitating abuse from others over nearly a decade.
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