UK man admits drugging, raping wife for 20 years

A British man in his 60s has pleaded guilty to drugging and raping his wife over a period spanning two decades, in one of the latest cases of drug-facilitated sexual abuse to emerge in the United Kingdom.

The man, whose identity is being withheld to protect his wife’s identity, admitted to 60 offences at a court in northwest England on Monday.

The offences date back to 2004 and include administering a substance to his wife with the intention of stupefying or overpowering her.

The man had previously pleaded guilty to other sexual offences against his wife and was scheduled to stand trial alongside 12 other men accused of conspiring to sexually abuse the woman while she was unconscious.

The 12 co-defendants, aged between 28 and 73, have denied the allegations and are expected to face trial at Manchester Crown Court in the coming weeks.

A 13th man involved in the case had earlier pleaded guilty to conspiring to drug and rape the woman.

The defendants include a paramedic and a former football coach.

The case is among a growing number of prosecutions in Britain involving drug-facilitated sexual abuse, in which victims are allegedly rendered unconscious or incapacitated before being sexually assaulted.

It follows the high-profile case of Frenchman Dominique Pelicot, who was convicted after drugging and raping his then-wife, Gisèle Pelicot, over several years while inviting other men to abuse her.

In another UK case last week, a London man pleaded guilty to encouraging men in an online group chat to sexually assault unconscious partners and share images of the abuse.

Another man is also due to be sentenced later this week in central England after pleading guilty in July to 32 sexual offences against his girlfriend while she was allegedly drugged or asleep.