German court jails man for years-long drugging and rape of wife, filmed and shared online

A court in the German city of Aachen has sentenced a 61-year-old man to eight and a half years in prison for repeatedly drugging and raping his wife, filming the assaults and distributing the videos online.

The defendant, identified in line with German privacy laws as Fernando P, was found guilty of aggravated rape, grievous bodily harm and violation of personal privacy. The court held that, between 2018 and 2024, he systematically sedated his wife in their home, sexually assaulted her while she was unconscious and recorded the abuse.

Court spokesperson Katharina Effert said the man then uploaded the footage to chat groups and online platforms, making the videos available to other users. Large parts of the trial were held behind closed doors to protect the victim’s identity.

The victim’s lawyer, Nicole Servaty, noted that the proceedings gave her client meaningful participation in the process. “She really had a voice in this proceeding,” Servaty said, adding that while the judgment cannot undo the harm, it may support her ability to process and cope with the trauma.

German media have drawn parallels with the high-profile French case of Dominique Pelicot, convicted in 2024 for secretly drugging his wife and inviting numerous men to rape her while she was unconscious. In that case, the victim’s public testimony became a rallying point for debates on sexual violence and digital exploitation.

Germany’s Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) has previously highlighted that victims of sedation-facilitated sexual abuse are “almost exclusively women” and that such crimes typically occur within relationships of trust – marriages, partnerships, families and close social circles. The Aachen verdict is still subject to appeal.