An elderly man, 82, and a woman, 60, are accused of abducting and subjecting a woman to torture over a period of five years.
The 45-year-old victim was allegedly held captive in Saint-Molf, located in France’s Brittany peninsula, by her roommate and the roommate’s partner. Reports from French sources indicate that the victim, described as “psychologically fragile,” was taken to the hospital due to hypothermia.
According to Nantes prosecutor Antoine Leroy, the victim was forced to reside in the garden or a garage attached to the couple’s residence.
The woman managed to escape when the man was preoccupied watching TV. She fled the confinement and sought help from a neighbor while scantily clad, revealing that she had been held against her will for five years.
The victim recounted living in a shared apartment within the house until the arrival of the man, after which she was relegated to living outdoors in the garden, in a tent, or in the attached garage. A search of the property corroborated her account.
The victim was frequently confined in the garage and endured dire living conditions, sleeping on a deckchair and consuming porridge laced with dish soap. Her movement was severely restricted.
The prosecutor noted that the victim vanished from public view since April 2022, coinciding with her divorce. Her bank accounts were only active when substantial sums were transferred to the duo.
The man and woman were apprehended last week and reportedly confessed to the core allegations but attempted to diminish their severity.
Both individuals face charges of kidnapping involving torture or barbaric acts, carrying the potential for life imprisonment. Additionally, they are accused of exploiting a person’s vulnerable psychological or physical state and their susceptibility due to vulnerability.
The man was put under judicial supervision, while the woman was detained pending further legal proceedings.