By John Q. Hosedrinker 
Fernando P., a German man, was convicted of drugging and raping his wife for years, filming the acts, and sharing the videos online. The court found him guilty of offenses between 2018 and 2024, leading to an eight-and-a-half-year prison sentence. The case, similar to the Dominique Pelicot trial in France, highlights the need for legal reforms and a reevaluation of consent laws. Activists hope this verdict will help shatter the illusion of safety that abusers have and lead to more convictions.
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German man found guilty of drugging, raping and filming his wife for years | CNN is a story that immediately triggers a visceral reaction. The sheer depravity and the calculated nature of the abuse are difficult to process. It’s a tale that exposes a dark underbelly of human behavior, highlighting not only the perpetrator’s actions but also the disturbing landscape that facilitated them.
It’s astonishing that this kind of abuse could occur for fourteen years, as revealed by investigative journalists in Hamburg. The fact that the man, the perpetrator, passed away before being charged adds another layer of injustice, leaving a void where accountability should be. The initial reaction is one of disbelief, a sense of “how can this happen?”
The revelation of this case is even more disturbing when considering the context it’s been placed in. We’ve seen similar instances, such as the case of the French man, that have emerged in the news recently. It raises the question: is this an isolated occurrence or part of a larger, more sinister trend? The discussion around this topic is disturbing. It has unearthed a large online community of people allegedly posting videos of these acts.
This whole situation is absolutely gut-wrenching. The emphasis on the wife’s well-being is vital. And the immediate reaction is that she should, and hopefully will, get divorced as soon as possible, to begin rebuilding her life. The fact that this German man was a police officer adds another layer of betrayal. It demands a thorough investigation into any and all accusations against him, given his position of power and authority.
The sad reality is that marital rape wasn’t even recognized as a crime in many places, including Germany and the United States, until the mid-to-late 1990s. The prosecutions of marital rape are still, even today, incredibly rare. If you’re a victim, good luck getting justice, as it feels like the system is stacked against you. The perpetrator of these acts, in any case, deserves only the harshest condemnation, and there is no sympathy for his actions. The man should be publicly shamed, with no regard for his privacy after he took his wife’s.
It’s truly sickening to hear that there are online forum groups that contain thousands of members, with disturbing content that provides not only a “fantasy” for those involved, but concrete instructions on how to drug and rape. The realization that this is not just about the wives involved makes this all the more terrifying. There’s a genuine fear that this kind of thing is much more prevalent than we realize.
It’s infuriating to see the perpetrator hiding his face, showing no remorse or shame. He had no right to privacy after violating someone else’s. This highlights a fundamental problem: the conditioning of some men to view women as property. To reiterate, marital rape was not considered illegal in all of the United States until 1993, which should be noted. The reasons why so many women fear men are all here. The man in France, D. Pelicot, who also committed these crimes, repeatedly drugged and raped his wife and invited other men to do the same. This illustrates a disturbing pattern, and it’s important to acknowledge that these are not isolated incidents.
One can’t help but feel a sense of outrage. The camera should have been put right in front of the man’s face for the entire duration of the trial, for the world to see the actions he had committed. These are some truly disturbed individuals. Many people feel heartbroken for the victims, and this brings more reasons why one might avoid marriage.
The disturbing nature of this event is part of the larger picture of an industry focused on fetishization of these acts, and the fact that men, both in Germany and France, used this to make money just adds a new level of evil. It all comes down to the money, and to inciting enough equally disturbed followers and subscribers.
This raises the question of whether this is a common occurrence in Europe or other places. Why would a husband drug and rape someone they are supposed to love? And the question of whether there was any connection to the perpetrator in France is important, as it could mean these issues are more connected than we think.
It’s frustrating that the perpetrator is allowed to hide his face in these photos. It’s especially wrong, considering how he exposed his wife. These types of men have no shame. One can’t help but wonder if this is an “American move,” like how there is a lack of accountability in the United States. This situation reinforces that people are so sick.
The fact that these cases recruited hundreds of men online, and that they likely spread further, is very troubling. These are the Europe equivalents of school shootings. And it’s also worth noting that the data collection is insidious, especially from certain news agencies.
The investigation (in German) uncovers how there are groups with tens of thousands of members and porn sites that foster this exact phenomenon. These members are all over the world, sharing rape drugs and sometimes raping their partners with input from the group. It is a terrifying situation.
It’s understandable to feel like you’re experiencing a sense of déjà vu, having heard of another similar case recently. Many thought it was just the one creep. One needs a few zeroes next to two. This is not a new problem. A Law & Order SVU episode (S03:E11) covered similar behavior that came out in 2002.
It’s important to remember that in the US, 1993 was the year spousal rape became illegal. It’s also crucial to remember that there were many legal loopholes that weren’t cleaned up until around the time this episode came out.
This type of thing was much more widespread than any of us suspect, especially prior to the 2000s. It was one of those “unspoken” things. The US isn’t any better, either. Marital rape was explicitly exempt from laws in the United States, meaning that it wasn’t considered a crime. Donald Trump’s lawyer’s statement, “you can’t rape your wife,” made sense because, in 1989, it wasn’t legally rape.
Marital rape was legal in every state in the US prior to the 1970s. By 1993, all states had withdrawn the marital rape exemptions, but it was still treated differently. These networks are more common than people think. It’s not surprising. The fact that the French one recruited so many rapists from the internet shows that there is a whole community of them. These people are rarely caught.
It is so sad that it took a tragic event like this to uncover this information. It shows how much more prevalent this is than anyone realizes. The man in France only got caught because someone filmed him trying to take photos of women in public, and the police found evidence of him raping his wife. This is happening all over the world every day. It’s the result of women being treated like men’s property. So many people require violence to feel in control and powerful.
The article’s use of the phrase “online university of sexual violence” cracks the nut on this particular brand of evil. It also shows that the men feel comfortable sharing these videos. This is what you get when those men are able to share their misdeeds.
The Telegram group chat with 70,000 members where they discuss rape is sickening. And it’s tough to know how to stop this. For centuries, women were essentially property. We are not even 100 years removed from this mindset. Many men are conditioned to view women as chattel.
We’re left with the disturbing question of what is truly wrong with these people. A lot of men see women as tools. A lot of men also think rape is stranger danger. Society doesn’t hold men to high standards. It’s an indictment of the societal and cultural forces that allow such atrocities to occur. The victims, the survivors, deserve our empathy, our support, and the unwavering pursuit of justice.