A global network dubbed a “rape academy,” where men exchange advice on drugging and assaulting their sleeping wives, has been exposed following the shocking case of Gisele Pelicot. An investigation has uncovered groups on popular platforms sharing step-by-step instructions, sedative dosage recommendations, and livestreamed abuse of unsuspecting partners.
Investigation reveals disturbing details
In an interview with The Briefing podcast, CNN journalist Kara Fox, who worked on the investigation, warned that the material is easily accessible and poses a real threat to women. “Perhaps the most terrifying or surprising part to a lot of people is the fact that [these sites] operate in plain sight,” she said. “It’s not on the dark web.”
The investigation was sparked by the high-profile case of Gisele Pelicot, who waived her anonymity to confront her former husband Dominique. He had drugged and raped her with other men for years, leading to a trial in France last year. Dominique and 51 other men were convicted and sentenced for their crimes.
Online communities fuel abuse
Perpetrators in these online “rape academies” shared a sense of community and appeared “almost immune” to the violence they created and viewed, according to Fox. “These people would try and encourage each other and they would almost goad one another; they were looking almost for approval from one another,” she said. “The normalisation of how easily you can go from talking about, you know, ‘hello, how are you?’ to ‘this is what I’m doing and this is how you do it’ ... down to the milligram of how many sedatives to give someone and how not to mix it too much with alcohol, otherwise you might have a bad result [is] really shocking stuff actually.”
Platforms such as porn website Motherless, Discord, and Telegram were named as places where users shared so-called “sleep content” chat and abuse material. A channel called Without Her Knowledge was linked to the Pelicot case.
Global response and calls for change
Survivors of partner drug rape from around the world, including Australia, have reached out since the investigation was published. Fox noted that even when groups or sites are shut down after being reported, new ones quickly emerge. However, she expressed hope that public anger will trigger “a sea change” in regulation to combat these networks.
