A court in western Germany has convicted a man of repeatedly drugging, raping, and secretly filming his wife over several years before sharing the videos online without her consent. The case has drawn parallels with the high-profile French trial of Dominique Pelicot and has reignited debate over consent laws and online sexual abuse across Europe.
The defendant, identified as Fernando P., a 61-year-old school janitor, was found guilty by a court in Aachen. Judges ruled that he sedated his wife in their home, sexually assaulted her while she was unconscious, recorded the acts, and distributed the footage via websites and group chats.
He was sentenced to eight years and six months in prison, with the option to appeal within a week.
In its judgment, the court said the man violated his wife’s “most intimate private sphere” in 34 cases, including four counts of aggravated rape and dangerous bodily harm, as well as aggravated sexual coercion and sexual assault. Some charges were dropped, though details were not disclosed.
The offences were confirmed to have occurred between 2018 and 2024, although prosecutors had alleged abuse dating back almost 15 years.
The ruling comes a year after Pelicot’s conviction in France, a case that shocked the public and sparked widespread discussion on misogyny and gender-based violence.
German advocacy groups have described the Aachen verdict as a landmark. Nur Ja Heisst Ja (“Only Yes Means Yes”) said the case exposes weaknesses in Germany’s sexual violence laws, particularly where victims are drugged or unconscious and unable to express consent.
Campaigners argue that Germany’s traditional “no means no” standard fails such victims and are pushing for a stricter “yes means yes” consent model that requires explicit agreement.
Activists also highlighted that possession of rape videos is not currently a criminal offence in Germany, a gap that has intensified calls for legal reform. Some regional justice officials are now advocating laws to outlaw possession of such material.
Beyond Germany, rights groups say the case reflects a broader European problem driven by online platforms that enable the sharing of abusive content and normalize sexual violence.
Advocates are calling for tougher laws, stronger online regulation, and greater accountability, saying the conviction offers hope that perpetrators who once relied on secrecy and the internet will increasingly be brought to justice.
