Ten men charged in France over rape of drugged five-year-old

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Paris: French prosecutors on Tuesday said they have charged 10 men aged between 29 and 50 in connection with an investigation into the alleged drug-facilitated rape and sexual abuse of a five-year-old boy in northern France.

The case, described by authorities as rare due to the use of chemical substances against a young child, centres on allegations that the boy was abused during a so-called ‘chemsex’ gathering in the city of Lille. Chemsex refers to sexual activity conducted under the influence of powerful drugs.

According to the Lille prosecutor’s office, the investigation was launched on February 15, 2025, following a report related to a gathering held the previous night. Prosecutors allege the child was ‘put in contact with adult males by his own father’ and subjected to aggravated sexual violence involving the administration of drugs without his knowledge.

The case has been referred to an investigating judge for acts allegedly committed in Lille between November 2024 and February 14, 2025, including charges of rape and sexual assault involving the use of substances to impair a victim’s judgment or ability to control their actions.

The 10 men were charged over the course of the investigation between February last year and January this year. Prosecutors said one of the main suspects died by suicide while in pretrial detention in June 2025. No further details were released.

The child’s father has been indicted on charges of incestuous sexual assault and complicity in aggravated rape and sexual assault against his son. Prosecutors said the father was also allegedly assaulted during the same gathering.

The child is currently being cared for by his mother, from whom the father had separated before the alleged abuse.

French media reported that at least one suspect – a 30-year-old truck driver charged in January – is accused not of direct participation, but of receiving a video linked to the abuse and failing to report it to authorities.

The case comes amid heightened scrutiny in France over drug-facilitated sexual violence, following the December 2024 conviction of Dominique Pelicot, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison for repeatedly drugging his former wife and facilitating her rape over several years.

In a separate ruling on Tuesday, a French court also found a former senator guilty of drugging a woman lawmaker with ecstasy with intent to sexually assault her, sentencing him to 18 months in prison.