Pattern of women being drugged and raped: ‘Shame must change sides’

Nine men are currently on trial for their alleged involvement in sexual offences against a woman in Stockport. The case is reminiscent of that of Gisèle Pelicot, which hit the headlines in 2024 when she waived her anonymity. Dominique Pelicot drugged and raped Gisèle over a nine-year period, inviting dozens of other men to rape her while she was unconscious.

The shocking story of Gisèle Pelicot is not an isolated incident but appears to be part of a worrying trend in which male partners invite other men to engage in the most egregious abuse of their female partners while they are drugged and unconscious.

The husband of the unnamed woman from Stockport abused her over a 20-year period. Thirteen other men were also charged with offences connected to the abuse. She had been unaware of the abuse until the police arrived at her doorstep. The horrific crimes were initially uncovered by journalists who had infiltrated a Telegram chat, which then led to a police investigation.

The husband, who cannot be named to protect the woman’s anonymity, has pleaded guilty to 62 charges, including multiple rapes. Four other men aged between 38 and 74 have now also pleaded guilty to several charges. However, the trial continues, as nine of the accused have pleaded not guilty.

Shockingly, a parallel case is also being tried at Winchester Crown Court in Hampshire. Former Conservative councillor Philip Young, 50, formerly of Swindon, has pleaded guilty to 56 charges, including 48 offences against his former wife, Joanne Young, over a 13-year period. Mr Young also invited men he had connected with online to abuse her. Ms Young became aware that something was wrong after she awoke one night, blindfolded and restrained, and realised that a man other than her husband was present.

Feminist activists and campaigners have been attending weekly silent vigils outside the Crown Courts in Manchester and Winchester.

Rose Reeve from Northern Radfems has been present outside Manchester Crown Court every week since the hearing began. Reeve, a veteran feminist activist, said:

“Whenever I hear about a case like this, my thoughts go immediately to the woman and the unimaginable trauma she is going through. That’s why I stand with the other women outside the court, to show support and solidarity to her.”

Heather Binning, the director and founder of the Women’s Rights Network (WRN), has expressed concern about the rise of this crime, known as “drug-facilitated sexual assault” (DFSA). Binning believes that the language used to describe this offence removes the focus from male violence. She said:

“Why are we blaming the drugs? It’s men. Without men, the drugs wouldn’t be there. This is male sexual violence.”

A WRN statement has been sent to the CPS and government ministers, calling for authorities to “treat this pattern as the organised criminal ecosystem it is, and not as a series of unrelated domestic cases.

“The connections between perpetrators, enabled by online networks, require a coordinated investigative and prosecutorial response.”

Binning said it appears these cases are simply “being stumbled upon” by the police, rather than uncovered through a coordinated effort to search for perpetrators.

The WRN is also calling for “platforms that host and profit from such content to be held legally accountable under UK law”.

Binning cites the accessibility of extreme pornography and access to drugs online through the dark web as partly to blame for the rise in DFSA. She believes online platforms are “grooming perpetrators” by encouraging men to participate in this behaviour. Reeve shares Binning’s concerns about pornography, saying:

“It dehumanises women to the extent that men think that this is acceptable behaviour.”

Binning expressed concern about the prevalence of these crimes:

“Who knows just what the extent of this is?” She added: “It horrifies me to think what else is going on … there are women out there right now to whom this is happening.”

Activist Joanne Dunnington, also from Northern Radfems, believes showing support and solidarity for the victims is important. She hopes their presence will bring greater public awareness to the case:

“It’s not like the Gisèle Pelicot case in France. She had huge support from the general public, and with this woman in Stockport, we’ve not seen that for her,” said Dunnington.

In Wiltshire, Cid Dixon and other women’s rights campaigners have been outside Winchester Crown Court showing their support for Joanne Young, who waived her anonymity. Dixon said:

“Joanne’s sister, daughter and dad came out to speak to us, pass on Jo’s thanks for us being there, and say that Jo had found strength in our support.”

Dixon added that Gisèle Pelicot also drew strength from the overwhelming support of women worldwide, which Pelicot said helped her get through the gruelling trial.

If you would like to show your support and solidarity, campaigners gather outside Manchester Crown Court on Minshull Street every Monday from 8.30 am. Supporters of Joanne Young from Swindon gather on Mondays at 8.45 am outside Winchester Crown Court on High Street.

Claire is a freelance journalist, feminist and recent MA graduate who cares deeply about injustice. A sex realist, she advocates for women’s and girls’ sex-based rights and for accurate, truthful reporting on the subject. She brings a background in the arts and creative writing, among other fields, to her new career in journalism, which she is starting later in life with a wealth of experience behind her.

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