'Pelicot 2.0' Horror as Woman Dies After Husband Allegedly Drugged Her and Paid Men To Rape Her

Austrian police are investigating the death of a 39-year-old woman after an autopsy reportedly revealed severe injuries and evidence that she had allegedly been subjected to prolonged sexual abuse orchestrated by her husband.

The case has been compared with the notorious Gisèle Pelicot case in France after investigators reportedly uncovered evidence suggesting the woman's husband had drugged her and arranged for other men to sexually assault her.

The woman, from Marchtrenk in Upper Austria, was found dead at her home after her teenage daughter reportedly discovered her blood-covered body.

Her husband was reportedly at the property when emergency services arrived and was initially said to have claimed that the injuries occurred during rough sex.

Autopsy Revealed Severe Injuries

According to reports, an autopsy later found that the woman had suffered severe injuries that were considered fatal. The investigation subsequently took a darker turn when authorities examined evidence from her husband's mobile phone.

Investigators reportedly found searches and messages concerning ways of incapacitating people, alongside conversations suggesting that other men had been brought into the home to sexually assault the woman while she was unable to consent.

The husband is alleged to have paid men around €500 or £429 ($581) for each assault. One alleged participant was reportedly a neighbour, who has since been arrested in connection with the investigation. Messages exchanged between the men are said to have provided investigators with further evidence about the alleged abuse.

The woman's husband has not been convicted of the allegations, and the investigation remains ongoing.

Husband Allegedly Called Wife 'Dead Meat'

Among the evidence reportedly uncovered by investigators were disturbing messages allegedly exchanged by the husband. Reports say he referred to his wife in degrading terms and discussed her lack of consent while communicating with other men.

The evidence has raised questions about how long the alleged abuse continued and whether additional people were involved. Several other suspects are reportedly being investigated as authorities work to establish the full circumstances surrounding the woman's death.

The case initially attracted attention because of its similarities to the Gisèle Pelicot case in France.

Why It Has Been Compared With The Pelicot Case

Gisèle Pelicot became a symbol of sexual violence after her former husband, Dominique Pelicot, was convicted in France of drugging her and arranging for dozens of men to rape her over almost a decade.

The French case shocked the world after evidence showed that Pelicot had repeatedly rendered his wife unconscious before allowing other men to sexually assault her.

The Austrian investigation has prompted comparisons because it allegedly involves a husband drugging his wife and facilitating sexual assaults by other men. However, the Austrian case is still at the investigation stage and differs in important respects from the French case, where the accused men were ultimately prosecuted and convicted.

The 39-year-old woman's death has now transformed the Austrian investigation into a homicide case as authorities examine whether the injuries suffered during the alleged abuse directly caused her death.

Police and prosecutors are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the woman's death and the alleged involvement of other men.