A sordid affair. Seven men were indicted and three placed in pre-trial detention for acts of rape and sexual assault committed on a minor under 15 years old in the Vosges, the public prosecutor of Epinal indicated on Thursday.
The accused, aged between 20 and 30, are accused of “rape and aggravated sexual assault on a minor (under) 15 years old”, said Frédéric Nahon, confirming information from the daily newspaper. Vosges MorningThe events took place between April and September 2023 in the Cornimont area, a mid-mountain village in the Vosges, the magistrate said.
Consent does not hold
Presented to court on September 5, three men were placed in pre-trial detention and the other four were placed under judicial supervision. According to Vosges Morningthe alleged acts were committed against a minor aged 12. The newspaper states that she had initially declared that she had consented and had made the men believe that she was aged 16.
According to a law enacted in 2021, an adult cannot rely on the sexual consent of a minor under the age of 15, with the exception of a freely consented relationship between two people with an age difference of less than five years.