A British man has pleaded guilty to 60 charges, including drugging and raping his wife over a 20-year period. The case, described as a “horrific” campaign of abuse, also involves allegations against more than a dozen other men.
The husband, who is in his 60s and from Stockport, Greater Manchester, entered his plea to 45 new charges, in addition to 15 he had previously admitted to, according to a statement from the Greater Manchester Police on Monday.
Authorities launched a complex investigation last year, leading to charges against 12 other men, aged between 29 and 74. These men are accused of conspiring to abuse and rape the victim between 2023 and 2025. Nine of these individuals have also been charged with raping and sexually assaulting the woman.
One of the accused men, Keith Fotheringham from Dundee, Scotland, has already pleaded guilty to conspiring to rape and drug the woman without her consent.
The central figure in the case faces a total of 60 counts. These include seven counts of sexual assault, one count of administering a substance with intent, and one count of sharing intimate photos or film, alongside the rape charges.
Assistant Chief Constable Rick Jackson of the Greater Manchester Police stated that the force's focus remains on supporting the victim. "Specialist support continues to be provided to the victim at the center of this case," Jackson said. He urged potential victims of drug-facilitated sexual abuse to come forward, emphasizing that proof or a clear memory is not required to be taken seriously.
The Crown Prosecution Service has indicated that the sentencing date for the husband is not yet set and may depend on the outcomes of trials for the other accused men.
This case draws parallels with that of Gisèle Pelicot, whose ex-husband Dominique Pelicot was convicted in 2024 for drugging her and orchestrating her rape by dozens of strangers over nearly a decade. Separately, an Austrian man was arrested this summer for allegedly raping and beating his wife to death while she was intoxicated.