Paula's story
The men were a ragtag bunch. They ranged from a local politician, a nurse and a journalist to a former police officer, a prison guard and a soldier, to a firefighter, a civil servant and a college student. They were aged between 26 and 73. Over the course of a blistering two weeks of testimony, each had taken the stand in turn to describe answering an ad in an online forum seeking “men to fuck my wife.” To a one, they swore under oath that they had believed that the sex with the woman who appeared to be comatose was consensual, that the man videotaping each encounter was her adoring husband doing her bidding, that the entire bizarre setup was an elaborate sexual role-playing game for the man and his wife.
Of course, now the whole country knew the truth. And this little courtroom in Avignon had become the epicenter of a tale of torture and tragedy, the unmasker of a filthy secret that had threatened the very sanity of a 73-year-old woman who could not understand why she kept contracting sexually transmitted diseases, why her memory was failing, why she sometimes was unable to move her arm.
At the end of the two weeks, tension in the courtroom was thick, and the spectators were beyond shock and exhaustion. The woman, who insisted on being identified, who insisted on being in that surreal courtroom day after day, who insisted on talking to the media, who insisted that she is not the one who should be shamed, who insisted on claiming her life back from the nightmare it had become: She held her head high with a tight smile and a straight back, sitting with her three adult children beside her, determined to see justice done, for herself, yes, but for terrorized and abused women everywhere.
As for the 51 defendants, one of whom was the husband who placed the ad, routinely drugged his wife, and welcomed the rapists into his bedroom — they had during the course of those two weeks, made the journey from rationalization to realization, realization that they were, indeed monsters.
And then, the pivot.
“Your honor, on behalf of my clients, I would like to enter 50 pleas of guilty.”
The startled judge looked up from the papers in his hand and stared at the attorney. “What did you just say?” he asked, as he peered over his glasses at the lawyer standing at the defense table.
“Your honor,” she said, “my clients now have agreed to plead guilty in this case. I offer the court 50 guilty pleas.”
“Repeat that!” the judge roared, glaring at the court stenographer to make sure he was catching every word of this extraordinary admission.
And with that, the horrific case that had transfixed a nation and much of the world came to an end. It ended with 51 sentences, ranging from three years to 20 years, in the case of the woman’s husband, the maximum allowed under French law for the offense of rape.
As the disgraced and detestable men were led from the courtroom, the woman’s daughter stood and screamed at her father, “You will die alone, like a dog, in jail!”
Jackie's story
I am Lieutenant Smith from police central – Sit down Mr X - we are starting your interrogation at 16:34 on Friday the 3rd of September which is taking place in this office . You are charged with the murder of James Tollen stabbed to death on the evening of 1st of June 2015.
Could you tell us in detail what you were doing on the 1st of June 2015 Mr X
“Yes, I was a bit bored on that afternoon, it was a rainy cold day in the summer and I arranged to meet my friend James at the local pub to play darts We had a habit of going there and meeting up for a few pints and a game or two.
That afternoon the barmaid was Lucy a very pretty blond number who I had been trying it on for a date for a while. I wasn’t getting anywhere with her but I was pleased to see her at the bar so that I could have another try to ask her out.
James arrived and immediately started chatting her up – not wanting to play darts as arranged and I got pissed off with him and went outside for a cigarette. After a while he came out too and we had a bit of a tiff and went back in to play a game.
Suddenly the dart flew at James and he fell into a coma on the floor of the pub, that’s all I can say …”
I am Police office Tyler – This interrogation is taking place at 18 h on Friday the 3rd of September.
Could you repeat what you just told Lieutenant Smith
“Again- but I just told you it all…”
Repeat please.
OK As I said I was bored it was a rainy cold summer day and I went round to James flat and got him out of bed to come with me and go to the local pub to have a few pints.
The barmaid was there a curvaceous brunette named Sally and I was trying to have it off with her when James started chatting her up. So I was pissed off and went outside for a ciggy – when James came out too we had a bit of a fight and I told him to get lost over Sally – well I got a little upset with him I do admit but we agreed on a game and then a dart flew off kilter and there he was on the floor with blood oozing everywhere. I don’t know what happened …
I am Police Inspector Diggy: Interrogation n° 3 on the 3rd of September at 22h in the central police offices concerning the suspect of the killing of James Tollen on the evening of 1st of June 2015
Please could you repeat to Police Inspector Barnes what you previously stated
“I just repeated to you three times”
Repeat please what you were doing on the evening of the 1st of June 2015
“I don’t remember it’s a long time ago and sitting in your police cell has made my head go round in circles …
As I already told you – I went out to the pub it was a sunny afternoon – the barmaid Jenny was there a lovely older woman who I was trying to get off with – old women really turn me on … so then when my friend arrived he started chatting her up and I got mad and then we played darts – and I was mad at him I hated him then as I’d been dreaming of her and thinking of what it would be like when I got her home to my flat – and I took the dart and threw it at him – there he was with blood on the floor …
Thank you Mr X I think we have all the information we need – as your story is inconsistent and you are incapable of repeating your first story - you will be judged in the high court in two months time and asked to re repeat your story and in the meantime be kept in the cells underneath this building …
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