An elderly man, 82, and a woman, 60, have been accused of abducting and subjecting a 45-year-old woman to torture for a period of five years.
The victim, who was reportedly in a vulnerable mental state, was held against her will in Saint-Molf, located in France’s Brittany peninsula, by her flatmate and the flatmate’s partner. According to reports from French media, the victim was found in a state of hypothermia and was promptly taken to a hospital.
Prosecutor Antoine Leroy from Nantes disclosed that the victim was forced to live in the garden or a garage connected to the residence where the two suspects resided.
The woman managed to escape when the man was engrossed in watching TV, fleeing from the enclosure where she was confined. She sought help by appearing at a neighbor’s window, partially clothed, and revealed that she had been held captive for five years.
The victim recounted her ordeal, explaining that she initially shared the residence with another woman until the man entered the picture. Subsequently, she was instructed to move out and reside in the yard, either outdoors, in a tent, or in an attached garage. A search of the property corroborated her account.
The victim frequently found herself locked inside the garage, sleeping in precarious conditions on a deckchair, as detailed by the prosecutor.
Her living conditions were dire, as she resorted to using a potty or plastic bags for personal hygiene, consuming porridge mixed with dish soap, and being confined indoors.
The victim had been off the grid since April 2022, coinciding with her divorce, with her bank accounts showing irregular activity involving substantial payments to the suspects, as reported by LeParisien.
The man and woman were apprehended towards the end of the previous week and have reportedly acknowledged the core allegations but attempted to downplay them.
Both individuals face charges of kidnapping coupled with torture or acts of brutality, offenses that carry the potential for life imprisonment. Additionally, they are accused of exploiting the victim’s vulnerable psychological and physical state.
While the man has been placed under judicial supervision, the woman has been remanded in custody.