A 66-year-old French man goes on trial before the Gard departmental criminal court on Thursday, November 12, accused of drugging and raping six young women between 2018 and 2023.
The Trial of Yann de C. in Nîmes
- Yann de C. stands trial starting Thursday, November 12, facing charges of drugging and raping women he met through the cosplay community.
- Investigators discovered digital archives containing intimate photos and videos of victims categorized by their names following a July 2023 police intervention.
- The court is expected to deliver its verdict on Friday, November 13, in the evening.
The Discovery in Vénéjean
Gendarmes from Bagnols-sur-Cèze uncovered the operation on the evening of July 9, 2023, inside the accused’s small house located in a wood in the village of Vénéjean, near a departmental road, according to ICI.
Officers found a 21-year-old woman lying on a bed, half-naked and barely conscious, responding only with nods. An acquaintance of the young woman had alerted the authorities, leading to the arrest of Yann de C., who answered the door wearing only a boxer.
A subsequent search of his phone and computer revealed folders containing photographs of women’s private parts and videos documenting the rapes of sleeping victims. These digital files were organized in folders bearing the individual names of the women.
Cosplay Community Connections
The recovered video files enabled authorities to confirm the identities of six victims living in the Bouches-du-Rhône, Vaucluse, Var, Isère, and Haute-Garonne regions. All victims were between 19 and 30 years old at the time of the offenses, which occurred between 2018 and the 2023 arrest. Investigators said that these victims were described as psychologically vulnerable.
The victims shared a consistent method of contact, meeting the accused through the world of cosplay—costumed events centered around fictional characters.
Yann de C. often proposed traveling together to events such as the Japan Expo in Paris, stopping by his home in the Gard where the victims lost consciousness after meals or drinking water. Expert analyses conducted during the investigation confirmed that the victims had ingested Zolpidem, a sleeping pill.
L'accusé Reconnaît Certains Faits Et Présente Ses Excuses
One year prior to the arrest, in 2022, a 19-year-old woman filed a complaint with police officers in Toulon after experiencing a sexual assault by the accused. Among her few recollections, she remembered him naked on top of her, asking if she was experiencing pleasure.
During the proceedings, the accused intends to offer apologies. “Mon client a, dès la garde à vue, reconnu un certain nombre de faits et il continue de s’excuser et il continuera de s’excuser pour tout le mal qu’il a fait,” said Me.
Isabelle Viremouneix, lawyer for the accused, as reported by ICI. Relatives described him as a manipulative individual concerned with his public image, while psychiatric evaluations highlighted an attraction to non-consenting victims.
| Case Detail | Fact |
|---|---|
| Accused Age | 66 years old |
| Substance Used | Zolpidem |
L'accusé Admet Trois Viols Mais Nie Les Autres
While the accused acknowledges raping three of the women identified in his videos, he denies the allegations regarding the remaining three.
“Elles vont mal, elles ont peur de ne pas être reconnues en qualité de victimes parce qu’il y a quand même soit une minimisation, soit une négation des faits de la part de l’accusé,” said Ludivine Gloriès, lawyer for two of the young women, to ici.fr.
The trial opened on Thursday, November 12, with the verdict anticipated on Friday, November 13, in the evening.
