UK to try men accused of raping a woman who was drugged for years by her husband

A trial of ten men accused of sexually abusing and raping a woman will begin in Manchester, England, on 2 November. For many years the woman was drugged by her own husband, and other men gained access to her through him. The case recalls the Pelicot trial in France and is being described as a British parallel.

What is known about the case

Thirteen men were originally due to stand trial. Two of them, 59-year-old Keith Fotheringham and 38-year-old Shaun Pearce, had already pleaded guilty. On Thursday the oldest defendant, 74-year-old pensioner Graham Brom, also pleaded guilty in court. He admitted raping the helpless woman in September 2024. The victim was in the courthouse when he entered his plea. Brom was released on bail, but the judge warned him that he should expect a lengthy custodial sentence.

The woman's husband, reported to be over 60, pleaded guilty in September to drugging and raping her from November 2004 until his arrest in October 2025. After his plea he submitted a detailed written statement. The men he invited are accused of offences committed between 2015 and 2025. The husband's surname cannot be published, in order to protect the woman's anonymity for life.

Ten men deny the charges, the youngest of them aged 28. They are Philip Wilde, Jordan Wallace, Alan Keelan, Jonathan Kirk, Robert Stewart, Mohammed Sabir, Richard Townsend, Karl Lindsay, Daniel Rayner and David Graves.

Comparison with the Pelicot case

In France, Dominique Pelicot regularly drugged his wife Gisèle Pelicot for almost ten years and allowed strangers found online to rape her. At least 83 people abused her between 2011 and 2020. The case came to light in September 2020, when a supermarket security guard caught Dominique secretly photographing under shoppers' skirts. A USB stick found at his home held more than 20,000 images and videos. Fifty men stood trial, and all were convicted in December 2024. Dominique Pelicot received the maximum 20-year prison sentence.

What comes next

The jury of nine women and three men has already been selected. The trial was due to begin on 12 October but was postponed for legal reasons. It is expected to conclude early next year.