Jacques Laveugle, 79, accused of abusing 89 minors over 55 years. Photos: X.
A 79-year-old man – Jacques Laveugle – in France has been accused of raping and sexually assaulting 89 minors over a period spanning more than five decades, in a case that has sent shockwaves across the country and revived grim comparisons to the Gisèle Pelicot case.
Grenoble prosecutor Étienne Manteaux publicly identified the suspect as Jacques Laveugle, an unusual step in France, where individuals under investigation are typically not named. Authorities said the scale and duration of the alleged abuse necessitated making his identity public to encourage potential victims to come forward.
The formal investigation into Laveugle began in February 2024, focusing on allegations of aggravated rape and sexual assault of minors. He has been in pretrial detention since April 2024, according to The Associated Press.
Manteaux said the urgency of the case is compounded by the suspect’s age and the complexity of tracing victims over a 55-year period.
“There is urgency,” he said on RTL radio, citing both the suspect’s age and the difficulty of identifying victims decades after the alleged crimes.
The case emerged after a relative discovered a USB drive containing extensive written material allegedly compiled by Jacques Laveugle himself. According to prosecutors, the digital files amounted to a 15-volume “memoir” documenting what were described as “sexual relations” with minors.
The USB drive was discovered by Laveugle’s nephew in October 2023. Manteaux said the nephew had been “questioning his uncle’s emotional and sexual life” and, taking advantage of his uncle’s absence one day that month, searched through his belongings and found the documents.
The relative subsequently handed the material over to authorities.
The prosecutor said the USB “contains 15 tomes of very dense material,” and investigators are reviewing all of the writings to identify victims, a figure that currently stands at 89 minors, according to France 24.
Prosecutors said the writings enabled investigators to identify 89 alleged victims, boys aged between 13 and 17 at the time of the alleged incidents, from 1967 to 2022.
The suspect’s memoir reportedly describes sexual acts with minors in multiple countries, including India. Other countries named in the documents are Switzerland, Germany, Morocco, Algeria, Niger, the Philippines, and the French territory of New Caledonia.
Jacques Laveugle is alleged to have carried out assaults both in France and abroad, often while working in educational roles.
According to Manteaux, Laveugle worked in several capacities over the years, including in schools, as a private tutor, and as a cave exploration guide.
He spent several years in Morocco as a tutor for low-income families and is suspected of abusing at least ten victims there, Manteaux told The Associated Press. His stay in Morocco spanned from 1974 to 2024. He was living in the North African country at the time of his arrest, which occurred during a return trip to France.
The suspect also lived in Algeria from 1967 to 1969 and again from 1971 to 1975, where he worked as a teacher. During those periods, he is suspected of abusing at least two children.
During the course of the investigation, Jacques Laveugle also acknowledged killing his mother and his aunt, according to prosecutors.
Manteaux said the suspect admitted to smothering his mother when she was in the terminal phase of cancer. He later killed his 92-year-old aunt.
Investigators also uncovered what they described as the motive behind the aunt’s death. According to Manteaux, Laveugle allegedly said he killed her “because he had to return to the Cévennes (region of France) and she begged him not to leave, he also chose to put her to death.”
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
OnePlus has launched a Valentine’s Day sale offering discounts on earbuds and tablets, including Buds,…
The press conference was made possible when Pakistan affirmed that it would take India in…
Team India’s Namibia selection raises eyebrows as Sanju Samson gets the backing and Abhishek Sharma…
