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 the city of Aix-en-Provence at the request of one of the alleged victims, and is due to last at least two weeks. Others had sought open proceedings, saying they wanted their voices to be heard by as many people as possible.
Zattara allegedly slipped sleeping pills into women's drinks before sexually assaulting them, according to the police investigation. He targeted women he was friends with or had intimate relationships with.
Investigators found troubling photos and videos on Zattara's computer that depicted alleged victims in a lethargic state during sex.
One woman filed a complaint against him in 2019 after attending a hypnosis session. She recalled consuming wine he offered and later waking up, remembering fragments of being raped and feeling ill.
His DNA was found under her fingernails and on her underwear, and toxicology results showed strong sleep-inducing drugs in her system.
This trial comes after the high-profile case of Dominique Pelicot, who received a 20-year prison sentence after drugging and raping his ex-wife while inviting numerous outsiders to join.
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