Woman claims 20 firefighters raped her in two years from age 13 in France: two admit they had ‘group sex’ while on duty and wore their uniform
- A woman in France claimed she had been raped by 20 firefighters in two years
- She claims she was only 13 years old when a firefighter started to nurse her
- Ten years later, three men have been charged with sexual assault
- Case has sparked protests and renewed calls to enter an age of sexual consent
A woman in France claims she was raped by 20 firefighters over a two-year period between 13 and 15 years.
The woman, now 25, said she was cared for by a firefighter who assisted her during a 2008 anxiety attack.
Ten years after the alleged abuse, three men have been charged with sexual assault and the country’s highest court will rule on the case on Wednesday.
The case of the alleged victim, dubbed ‘Julie’ by French media, has sparked protests in France, with campaigners demanding that an age for sexual consent should be legally established.
Dozens of people gathered at Place Saint-Michel on Sunday to demand “Justice for Julie.”
In French law, there is an ‘age of sexual consent’ at 15, but there is no age below which a minor cannot be expected to give consent, meaning that a child is not necessarily considered a victim of rape.
It is an offense for someone in a position of authority to have sex with a person under the age of 18.
In comparison, in the UK, sex with young people under 13 is a legal rape.
Protests broke out across France in support of women last weekend.
Julie claims that a firefighter named Pierre began grooming her at the age of 13 before she was raped by him and 19 of his colleagues over a two-year period.
In January 2009, Pierre reportedly visited Julie’s house and raped her while her mother was out for a dog walk.
Julie told investigators that in November 2009, while wearing full uniform, Pierre would have taken Julie to his apartment where two colleagues came to rape her.
In French law, there is a ‘sexual age of consent’ at the age of 15, but there is no age below which a minor cannot be considered to consent. Above protests in Paris on Sunday
At least three of the firefighters have admitted to having intercourse with the then-teen, though they claim the sex was consensual.
Julie says she was ‘terrified and paralyzed with fear’ at the time.
According to a report in The Guardian, the men have visited her home 130 times in two years.
The girl’s mother told investigators she had no idea what was going on. “I even made cake for the firefighters,” she said.
She said of Pierre: “I thought he was the last to do such a thing because he had helped her so often and saw how vulnerable she was.”
Julie’s mental and physical health deteriorated after the alleged attacks and she was prescribed medication for anxiety.
After being taken off the medication in July 2010, Julie disclosed the abuse to her mother, who reported it to the police.
Dozens of people gathered at Place Saint-Michel this Sunday to demand “Justice for Julie”
Her case has been brought to the country’s Supreme Court and will come to an end on Wednesday.
Three men are currently charged with “sexual assault,” although prosecutors will argue that all 20 men should be convicted of rape.
In France, the maximum sentence for sexual offense is seven years, compared to 20 for rape.
In order to file charges for rape in France, the complainant must prove that she was coerced or forcibly coerced.
The victim’s lawyer, Marjolaine Vignola, said: “ Every stereotype about rape is in this case: the judges and the psychiatrist say that Julie is a liar, that she agreed to have sex with all those men and that she lies about rape because she’s ashamed. ‘