A British man on Monday admitted repeatedly drugging and raping his wife at their home over more than two decades, shortly before his trial was about to begin.

The man – from northern England who is in his 60s but cannot be named as it would identify his wife who is entitled to lifelong anonymity – pleaded guilty at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court to 45 charges, having previously admitted 15 offences.

The man has now admitted charges including 21 counts of rape, 15 counts of assault by penetration, 11 counts of sexual assault and one count of sharing intimate images without consent in a period between 2004 and 2025.

He has also admitted an offence of administering a substance in order to stupefy his wife.

Prosecutors say the woman was repeatedly raped and sexually assaulted in her own home while she was unconscious, having been drugged by her husband.

A dozen other men, aged 28 to 74, are also charged with sexually abusing the victim from 2018 until 2025 and have all denied the offences which include rape.

"Our focus remains on supporting the victim of this horrific campaign of abuse through what is a very complex investigation," said Greater Manchester Police Assistant Chief Constable Rick Jackson.

"Specialist support continues to be provided to the victim at the centre of this case."

The other men's trial is due to take place at the same court and is expected to take several months.

This is the latest in a string of UK criminal cases related to drug-facilitated sexual abuse (DFSA).

Global awareness of the crime has grown following the high-profile conviction in France of Dominique Pelicot, who drugged and raped his then-wife Gisele for nearly a decade alongside strangers.

In a separate case last week, a London man pleaded guilty to encouraging other men in an online group chat to sexually abuse their unconscious partners and exchange images of the abuse.

And later this week, a man is due to be sentenced in central England after pleading guilty in July to 32 sexual offences against his girlfriend while she was allegedly drugged or asleep. (Agencies)



Edited by Cecil Wong