An elderly man, 82, and a woman, 60, are accused of abducting and subjecting a 45-year-old woman to torment over a period of five years. The victim was allegedly held captive in Saint-Molf, located in France’s Brittany peninsula, by her housemate and the housemate’s partner. Reports from French media indicated that the victim, described as “psychologically fragile,” was found in a state of hypothermia and subsequently taken to a hospital.
According to Nantes prosecutor Antoine Leroy, the victim was coerced into living in either the garden or a garage attached to the residence where the two suspects resided. The woman managed to flee during a moment when the man was distracted watching television and sought refuge in a neighbor’s home, partially clothed, revealing that she had been held against her will for five years.
The victim recounted that she used to reside in a shared section of the house with another woman until the arrival of the male suspect. Subsequently, she was evicted and forced to live outdoors, in a tent, or in the attached garage. A search of the premises corroborated her claims.
Allegedly, the victim endured dire conditions, being confined in the garage and sleeping on a deckchair. She resorted to using a potty or plastic bags for sanitation and consumed a mixture of porridge and dish soap. Her movements were restricted, and she was deprived of freedom.
The prosecutor disclosed that the victim had vanished from public view since her divorce in April 2022, with her bank accounts showing irregular activity primarily involving substantial payments to the suspects. The male and female suspects were apprehended at the conclusion of the previous week and purportedly acknowledged the essential elements of the allegations but attempted to diminish their severity.
Charges of kidnapping involving torture or acts of barbarism, punishable by life imprisonment, were brought against the pair. Additionally, they face accusations of exploiting a person’s vulnerable mental or physical state and taking advantage of a vulnerable individual.
While the man was placed under judicial supervision, the woman was remanded into custody pending further legal proceedings.