On Friday, the court in the British city of Winchester accepted the confession of a 49-year-old man who, according to the indictment, drugged and sexually abused his now ex-wife Joanne over the course of 13 years. The victim was personally present at this hearing, waiving her legal right to anonymity, AFP reported, writes TASR.
Defendant Philip Young pleaded guilty to 48 of the total 56 counts. These are mainly crimes of rape, secret recording and administration of narcotics with the aim of paralyzing the victim. Young pleaded not guilty to charges related to possession of child pornography and other graphic material.
According to British media, Young was in the past municipal politician for the Conservative Party. The prosecutor’s office stated that the crimes occurred in the years 2010-23. Their revelations are the result of an extensive investigation carried out in collaboration with Wiltshire Police, she added.
Five other men between the ages of 31 and 61 also appeared at Friday’s hearing, who also face accusations of sexual crimes against the defendant’s ex-wife. Šthree of them denied guilt, the fifth has not yet commented on the indictment.
Senior police officer Geoff Smith described the confessions as an important moment and praised the courage of the victim who decided to come forward. According to AFP, this case is reminiscent of another trial that took place in France in 2024. Also in this case, the victim, Gisele Pelicotová, decided to give up anonymity in order to draw attention to the problem of sexual violence.
Pelicot’s ex-husband Dominique was sentenced to 20 years in prison in December 2024 for allowing his wife Gisele to be raped by at least 50 foreign men. while previously giving her a strong anti-anxiety medication, which was putting her in a lethargic state. Home videos of her sexual abuse, filmed by Dominique Pelicot in their shared family home in the Provençal town of Mazan and elsewhere, were also presented as evidence in court. Pelicotová was exposed to such sexual violence for several years.
