UK man admits to drugging, raping wife over two decades

It is the latest in a string of U.K. criminal cases related to drug-facilitated sexual abuse.(AFP) — A British man pleaded guilty Monday to drugging and raping his wife over two decades at a court in northwest England, the latest such case involving men sedating and abusing their partners.The man, who is in his 60s and cannot be named to protect the identity of his wife, had previously pleaded guilty to other sexual offenses against her.He was due to stand trial alongside 12 co-defendants accused of conspiring to abuse the same woman, his wife, while she was unconscious.The other men deny the charges, while a 13th man in the case earlier pleaded guilty to conspiring to drug and rape the victim.Monday, the husband admitted to 60 offenses dating to 2004, including administering a substance with intent to stupefy or overpower his wife.The co-defendants, who are ages 28 to 73 and include a paramedic and former soccer coach, are set to stand trial at the criminal court in Manchester in the coming weeks.It is the latest in a string of U.K. criminal cases related to drug-facilitated sexual abuse (DFSA).Global awareness of the crime has grown following the high-profile conviction in France of Dominique Pelicot, who drugged and raped his then-wife, Gisele, for nearly a decade alongside strangers.In a separate case last week, a London man pleaded guilty to encouraging other men in an online group chat to sexually abuse their unconscious partners and exchange images of the abuse.Later this week, a man is due to be sentenced in central England after pleading guilty in July to 32 sexual offenses against his girlfriend while she was allegedly drugged or asleep.Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads