A trial began on Tuesday of a British man accused of drugging and raping his unconscious wife over two decades, alongside a dozen men accused of conspiring with him.
The man, in his 60s and from Stockport in northern England, is being tried on dozens of charges including rape, sexual assault and drugging his wife without her consent. They cover a period between 2004 and 2025, according to prosecutors, who have withheld the man’s identity to protect the anonymity of his wife.
The British police arrested the man in 2025. Since then, he pleaded guilty to 15 charges: five counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault, six counts of assault by penetration and one count of sharing intimate photos or video. Another 33 charges will be decided at the trial.
Also on trial are 12 men who were accused of offenses between 2023 and 2025. Nine of them were charged with the woman’s rape or sexual assault, and all of them with taking part in a conspiracy to abuse or rape her.
The men have a variety of jobs, are ages 28 to 73, and come from across Britain.
In a news release in June, Greater Manchester Police described its investigation as one of “alleged drug-facilitated sexual abuse.”
Prosecutors said that a 13th man, Keith Fotheringham, 59, from Dundee, Scotland, had pleaded guilty to conspiring to rape and drug the woman without her consent.
The trial, at the Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court, is expected to last for three months.
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