A French court sentenced a former bank manager to 25 years in prison for torture, rape, and forcing his partner into prostitution. The woman, inspired by the example of Ghislaine Pelico, decided to publicly share her experiences of violence that lasted seven years.
Digne-les-Bains (France) — A French court on Saturday sentenced a man to 25 years in prison for aggravated rape and torture of his former partner, who decided to publicly share her experiences, similar to Ghislaine Pelico, reports France24.
The victim's story gained widespread attention following the case of Ghislaine Pelico. Recall that in 2024, Pelico's husband was sentenced to 20 years in prison for seeking strangers for sexual violence against his wife, whom he had previously drugged. At that time, dozens of men involved in the rapes also received actual prison sentences.
In the new trial, Guillaume Bucci, who was a bank manager at the time, was accused of torturing and abusing his partner under the pretext of sadomasochistic sexual games from 2015 to 2022, including with the participation of strangers found online.
The 51-year-old man claimed that his former partner allegedly consented to what was happening. On Saturday, he stated that he "did not think he was causing her pain."
However, the 42-year-old victim Leticia R., who suffered serious health problems and disability as a result of the violence, testified in court about the "psychological control" exerted by her former partner.
Bucci admitted to several episodes, including choking, burns, and acts of zoophilia, but insisted that these were "voluntary sexual games within their intimate relationship."
He also acknowledged that he forced the woman into prostitution. According to Leticia R., she "stopped counting" men after nearly 500.
The court in southeastern France sentenced the 51-year-old defendant to 25 years in prison, with at least two-thirds of the sentence to be served in prison before the possibility of parole.
The prosecution sought life imprisonment to eliminate the "risk of reoffending against another woman."
"487 Men"
When her former partner first mentioned sadomasochism, Leticia R. thought of "spanking and bondage." According to her, the man assured her that they would stop if she did not like something.
"But it was pure violence," the woman stated, adding that she lived in "constant fear" due to threats of publishing intimate recordings in case of a breakup.
"I felt like I was dying inside," the mother of four children testified in court.
According to Leticia R., Bucci "gradually" began to force her into relationships with other men. On Christmas Eve 2015, he sent her to a gas station by the highway, where she was supposed to "offer herself to strangers" while he listened to the events over the phone.
Later, the man forced her into prostitution, offering sexual services to "friends, colleagues, and strangers," and made her keep a list of all the men.
Photo: Screenshot from Facebook video La Provence
"I stopped counting after 487 men, some of whom I saw up to ten times," the woman recounted during the trial.
The victim's lawyer, Philippe-Henri Onegger, noted that it was the story of Ghislaine Pelico that inspired his client to publicly share her experiences.
Unlike the Pelico case, in this trial, the defendant was not accused of drugging the victim.
The trial once again shocked France and became another high-profile case of years of psychological and sexual abuse. Leticia R.'s story showed how dangerous manipulation and control in relationships can be, as well as how important it is for victims to be willing to speak publicly about their experiences.
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