Mass Abuse Case Involving 89 Teenagers
An elderly French man has been formally charged with the rape and sexual assault of 89 teenagers in a case spanning several countries and dating back to the 1960s.
Jacques Leveugle, aged 79, currently in custody in south-east France, was arrested after his nephew discovered a USB drive allegedly containing detailed records of his "sexual relations" with minors aged between 13 and 17, according to Grenoble prosecutor Etienne Manteaux during a news conference.
In an uncommon decision, authorities have publicly named the suspect because only approximately 40 of the 89 victims have been identified so far.
"If victims wish to come forward, now is the time,"
Manteaux added.
The alleged offenses are reported to have occurred between 1967 and 2022.
Leveugle's Role and Geographic Reach
Throughout much of his life, Leveugle worked informally as a teacher or assistant at holiday camps, the prosecutor stated.
A timeline detailing Leveugle's locations since the 1960s shows his presence across several decades.
Authorities believe the assaults may have taken place not only in France but also in Germany, Switzerland, Morocco, Niger, Algeria, the Philippines, India, Colombia, and the French overseas territory of New Caledonia.
"He travelled to these different countries and in each of these places where he settled to provide tutoring and teach, he would meet young people and have sexual relations with them,"
Manteaux said during the Tuesday news conference.
Arrest and Discovery of Evidence
Leveugle was arrested in 2024 following a visit to his brother in the Isère department near Grenoble, in south-eastern France. At the time, Leveugle was residing in Morocco.
His nephew, suspicious of his uncle's activities, accessed a USB drive belonging to Leveugle during his absence in October 2023. The drive reportedly contained "15 tomes of very dense material," including photographs and written accounts of his sexual relations with minors, according to Manteaux.
"The victims we have spoken to tell us that he spent a lot of time helping them to learn foreign languages, awakening their sense of culture... He has a complex personality,"
the prosecutor explained.
Efforts to identify all victims have been extensive, but many entries in Leveugle's journal only include first names, limiting identification. This has prompted authorities to issue a public appeal for additional victims to come forward.
"A lot of work has been done to identify all the victims. But in his journal, some only have first names, and there we found ourselves up against a wall. That's why we decided to launch this appeal - and also in case there are other victims not listed in his journal,"
Alleged Admissions of Homicide
During questioning, Leveugle allegedly admitted to killing his mother and aunt by smothering them with cushions.
He is accused of killing his mother in 1974 while she was terminally ill with cancer and his 92-year-old aunt in 1992.
"He explained to us that he told (his aunt) he had to leave for the Cévennes. She was pleading with him not to go, so he took the decision to kill her too,"
the prosecutor said.
"He justifies the killings by saying he hoped someone would do the same to him if he was in the same situation at the end of his life."
A separate judicial investigation has been initiated regarding these alleged killings.
Legal Context and Importance of Full Investigation
Under French law, alleged assaults that occurred before 1993 fall under the statute of limitations, meaning prosecutions for those offenses are not possible. Nonetheless, Manteaux emphasized the importance of obtaining a comprehensive understanding of Leveugle's alleged crimes.
Comparison with Other High-Profile Cases
In recent years, other high-profile sexual assault cases in France have involved offenders who maintained records of their crimes, which proved crucial in securing convictions.
In the Pélicot rape case, Dominique Pélicot recorded videos of men assaulting his sleeping wife Gisèle, whom he had drugged. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Similarly, in Brittany, former doctor Joêl Le Scouarnec kept detailed computer records of hundreds of children he molested in hospital. This evidence was key to his conviction, resulting in a 20-year prison sentence.
