- Bank manager convicted of rape, torture, and selling girlfriend.
- Manager used manipulation to force acts involving strangers.
- Victim endured seven years of abuse and forced prostitution.
A French court has sentenced a bank manager to 25 years in prison after he was convicted of raping, torturing, and selling his former girlfriend to strangers over a period of seven years.
The victim, identified as 42-year-old Laëtitia R, told the court that the accused, Guillaume Bucci, exerted “psychological control” over her and forced her into prostitution.
Case Unfolds Amid Wider Abuse Trials In France
The trial comes at a time when France is already grappling with other major abuse-related proceedings, including an ongoing hearing into a child abuse sex scandal in schools and two years after the Gisele Pelicot case, which drew global attention.
Accused ‘Used Manipulation Under Guise Of BDSM’
According to AFP, Guillaume Bucci, who worked as a bank manager at the time, is accused of using the pretext of sadomasochistic sex games to manipulate his partner into acts of torture and rape involving strangers he allegedly “recruited” online.
The 51-year-old has argued in court that his ex-girlfriend consented to the acts and that “he did not think he was hurting her.”
However, Laëtitia R maintained that she was under continuous coercion and psychological control throughout their seven-year relationship.
‘Felt Like I Was Dying Inside’
Describing the beginning of the abuse, the woman told the court that it started after her partner introduced sadomasochism, which she initially understood as “spanking, being tied up” and similar BDSM practices.
She said the situation escalated into “pure and simple violence,” despite assurances from Bucci that they would stop if she was uncomfortable.
She further stated she was subjected to repeated assaults involving belts, cutting boards, electrical cables, and strangulation.
According to her testimony, she lived in “constant fear” that explicit recordings would be released if she attempted to leave the relationship, leaving her trapped under threats and coercion.
Court documents reportedly included hundreds of text messages and voice notes allegedly showing Bucci threatening to kill her if she did not comply.
“Little by little, I felt like I was dying inside. With each practice imposed, there was a part of me that broke permanently,” she told the court, as per Telegraph.
Allegations Of Forced Prostitution And Mass Exploitation
The abuse later escalated into forced prostitution, with Bucci allegedly pushing her to have sexual encounters with other men.
She recalled a key incident in 2015 when he allegedly sent her to a motorway station on Christmas Eve and told her to “offer herself to strangers.”
Bucci is further accused of arranging encounters with “friends, colleagues and strangers,” while maintaining a list of men involved.
“I stopped counting at 487 men, some of whom I had seen up to 10 times,” Laëtitia R said in court.
She also told the court that she now suffers from serious disabilities resulting from prolonged abuse.
Post-Pregnancy Abuse Allegation
The woman further alleged that in 2017, immediately after being discharged from hospital following the birth of their daughter, she was forced to perform a sexual act on a truck driver.
She told the court she drew inspiration from the Gisele Pelicot case in deciding to pursue legal action. While Pelicot’s husband drugged her, Laëtitia said Bucci kept her conscious deliberately.
“He said I needed to realise what was happening to me,” she said. “I remember everything.”
Court Hands Down 25-Year Sentence
Following the trial, the court sentenced Guillaume Bucci to 25 years in prison, stating that he must serve at least two-thirds of the term before being eligible for parole.
Prosecutors had sought a life sentence, citing concerns over the risk of reoffending against another woman.
Before the verdict, Bucci had already spent four years in detention and was listed on the sex offenders register.
Additional Restrictions Imposed
The court also barred him from contacting Laëtitia R or her children, including their eight-year-old daughter. He has been stripped of all parental rights.
ALSO READ: India Hits Out At Pakistan At UN, Says ‘Thousand Cuts’ Doctrine Exposes Hollow UN Commitment
He was additionally banned from owning an animal after admitting to killing a cat with a firearm and forcing Laëtitia to engage in bestiality.
ALSO READ: France Rocked By Over 100 Abuse, Rape Claims At Schools And Daycare Centres
