A 38-year-old father in southeastern France has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for raping his teenage daughter and exploiting her for sex with strangers over several years.
The case, heard in court on November 22, has shocked the nation.
The abuse began when the victim, then just 13 years old, was manipulated and controlled by her father. He took her to other men, many much older, whom he contacted through online classified ads.
The father falsely claimed to these men that he and his daughter were consenting adults engaging in a sexual fantasy.
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During the trial, the father admitted to the abuse but tried to justify it by claiming that his daughter had initiated the sexual encounters.
However, the court convicted him and sentenced him to 20 years in prison, the maximum penalty.
Prosecutor Estelle Bois emphasized that the father’s actions were about control, not love, calling it a case of “power and domination.”
The father filmed and directed the abuse, often blindfolding his daughter during the encounters.
A second man, who had met the girl believing she was consenting, was also convicted after video evidence and geolocation data identified him.