A German court has found a man guilty of repeatedly drugging, raping and filming his wife over several years, before sharing the videos online without her knowledge. The case has drawn comparisons to the high-profile Dominique Pelicot trial in France and has reignited debate around consent laws and online sexual violence in Europe.

 

 

 

The defendant, identified as Fernando P., a 61-year-old school janitor, was convicted by a court in Aachen, western Germany. The court found that he secretly sedated his wife in their marital home, sexually abused her while she was unconscious, recorded the assaults and distributed the footage on internet platforms and in group chats.

 

 

 

 

He was sentenced to eight years and six months in prison. The court said an appeal could be filed within one week.

 

 

 

 

In its ruling, the court stated that the man violated “the most intimate sphere of private life and personal rights” in 34 cases, including four instances involving aggravated rape and dangerous bodily harm. He was also convicted of aggravated sexual coercion and sexual assault. Some additional charges were dismissed, though details were not made public.

 

 

 

The crimes were found to have taken place between 2018 and 2024, though prosecutors had alleged abuse spanning nearly 15 years.

 

 

 

The verdict comes exactly one year after Frenchman Dominique Pelicot was convicted of aggravated rape for orchestrating the abuse of his former wife by dozens of men over nearly a decade. That case shocked the world and triggered widespread debate in France over misogyny and gender-based violence.

 

 

 

 

Campaigners in Germany have described the Aachen case as highly significant. Advocacy group Nur Ja Heisst Ja (“Only Yes Means Yes”) said it exposes serious gaps in Germany’s sexual violence laws, particularly in cases involving drugged victims who are unable to give or withhold consent.

 

 

 

Under German law, consent has traditionally been interpreted through a “no means no” standard. Campaigners argue this framework fails victims who are unconscious or incapacitated and are pushing for a “yes means yes” model that requires explicit consent.

 

 

 

Activists have also highlighted another legal gap: the possession of rape videos is currently not illegal in Germany. The Aachen case has intensified calls for reform, with some regional justice officials already pushing for legislation to criminalize possession of such material.

 

 

 

 

Beyond Germany, lawmakers and advocates across Europe say the case reflects a wider problem fuelled by online platforms. They warn that websites and chatrooms hosting abusive content function as spaces where perpetrators share methods, normalize violence and encourage one another.

 

 

 

Campaigners argue that stronger laws, stricter online regulation and greater accountability are urgently needed to combat what they describe as an ecosystem that enables sexual violence to thrive.

 

 

 

For many advocates, the conviction offers hope that perpetrators who once felt protected by secrecy and the internet may now face justice — and that future victims may be better protected under the law.