Germany Awaits Verdict In ‘Pelicot’-Style Case As Janitor Faces Charges Of Drugging, Filming And Raping Wife

The Regional Court of Aachen is set to deliver a verdict in the trial of a 61-year-old school janitor accused of drugging, raping and secretly filming his wife over a period prosecutors say lasted from 2009 until 2024. Prosecutors allege the assaults took place inside the couple’s home, were recorded while the victim was unconscious, and that those recordings were later shared online without her knowledge.

Case Details

According to the prosecution, the defendant repeatedly recorded the alleged assaults and uploaded or distributed the material via online platforms. The man denies the allegations; charges and descriptions in court documents are treated as alleged facts until proven. The verdict will be closely watched by campaigners who say the case exposes legal and technological gaps in how sexual violence is handled.

Campaigners demand reform of German sexual criminal law at a protest in Berlin on November 25. - Santiago Rodriguez/ Nur Ja Heisst Ja

Comparisons With The Pelicot Case

Observers have likened the Aachen proceedings to the Dominique Pelicot case in France — a high-profile trial in which Pelicot was convicted of aggravated rape after recruiting dozens of men via an online chatroom to assault his then-wife. That case led to multiple convictions and ignited a national debate in France about how institutions respond to gender-based violence.

Legal Debate And Campaigns

Campaign group Nur Ja Heisst Ja ("Only Yes Means Yes") says the Aachen case highlights shortcomings in Germany’s traditional "no means no" approach to consent. Activists argue that the law places an unreasonable burden on victims — particularly those incapacitated by drugs — to demonstrate active resistance, and they are pressing for an affirmative-consent standard often described as "yes means yes."

The Aachen case is the first of its kind to be heard by the German courts, according to campaign group Nur Ja Heisst Ja. - Santiago Rodriguez/ Nur Ja Heisst Ja

“It’s a case that kind of shows where there are gaps in our legal system,”

said Jill S., an activist with Nur Ja Heisst Ja who spoke on the condition of partial anonymity to avoid online harassment.

Possession Of Rape Footage And Policy Responses

Campaigners also point to another legal blind spot: possession of footage showing sexual violence is not automatically a criminal offense across Germany. Kathrin Wahlmann, a justice minister in Lower Saxony, has launched a campaign at the state level to criminalize possession of such material. Activists hope legislative changes will follow if courts and public pressure underscore the need for reform.

Nur Ja Heisst Ja are campaigning for the possession of rape content to be criminalized in Germany. - Santiago Rodriguez/ Nur Ja Heisst Ja

Cross-Border Resonance And Online Risks

The case has resonated beyond Germany. French lawmaker Sandrine Josso — who has alleged she was drugged by a French senator and filed a complaint — warns that online communities and messaging platforms can act as "an online university of violence," enabling abusers to exchange techniques and share exploitative content. Journalists in Hamburg also uncovered a separate case in which a man allegedly uploaded videos of drugging and rape over 14 years; he died in 2024 and was never charged.

What’s At Stake

Beyond this single trial, advocates say the wider stakes include how legal definitions of consent adapt to digital realities, whether possession of exploitative material should be criminalized, and how online platforms and authorities respond to communities that normalize sexual violence. Supporters hope the Aachen verdict will spur clearer laws and more robust enforcement.

Note: All allegations mentioned in this article are those made by prosecutors or accusers; the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.