French investigators say a decades-long serial rape case involving 89 alleged victims has come to light after a relative of the suspect handed over a USB drive containing detailed texts.
The case spans over 55 years and includes incidents in multiple countries. (Image for representation/AFP)The accused, identified as 79-year-old Jacques Lavougel, is accused of raping and sexually abusing minors over a period of more than 55 years, in a case that shocked France.
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The digital trail that triggered the investigationProsecutors said the investigation hinged on a digital “memoir” discovered on a USB drive, which authorities described as a 15-volume voluminous piece of writing compiled by the suspect, the AP reported.
The texts enabled investigators to identify 89 alleged victims between the ages of 13 and 17 with incidents dating from 1967 to 2022.
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Grenoble prosecutor Etienne Manteux said the documents often listed victims with incomplete identities or nicknames, making it difficult to identify them without public appeals.
Public naming to find victimsIn an unusual move under French law, prosecutors made Lavougle’s name public to encourage other victims to come forward.
The name must be known as the aim is to let potential victims come forward, Manteux said at a press briefing, HT reported earlier.
Authorities have since set up a hotline and released photos of the suspect from several decades ago, urging anyone with information to contact investigators.
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Crime across the countryProsecutors said the memoir described sexual abuse in multiple countries, including France, Germany, Switzerland, Morocco, Algeria, Niger, the Philippines, India and the French territory of New Caledonia.
Laveugle worked in various roles, as a school teacher, private tutor and cave exploration guide, which gave him access to minors in France and abroad.
Manteaux also confirmed that the suspect killed his terminally ill mother and later strangled his 92-year-old aunt, triggering a parallel investigation.
