‘Dense writing’: How 15 volumes of a memoir on a USB unravelled a serial rape case in France

A serial rape case in France, involving 89 victims over 55 years, unraveled after a USB drive with the suspect's detailed writings was handed to authorities.

French investigators say a decades-spanning serial rape case involving 89 alleged victims came to light after a relative handed over a USB drive containing detailed writings by the suspect himself.

The case spans over 55 years and includes incidents across multiple countries. (Picture for representation/AFP)

The accused, identified as 79-year-old Jacques Laveugle, is charged with raping and sexually assaulting minors over a period of more than 55 years, a case that has shocked France.

The digital trail that triggered the probe

Prosecutors said the investigation hinges on a digital “memoir” discovered on a USB drive, which contained what authorities described as 15 volumes of dense writings compiled by the suspect, reported AP.

These writings enabled investigators to identify 89 alleged victims, boys aged between 13 and 17 at the time, with incidents dating from 1967 to 2022.

Grenoble prosecutor Etienne Manteaux said the documents often listed victims with incomplete identities or nicknames, making it difficult to trace them without a public appeal.

Public naming to find victims

In an unusual move under French law, prosecutors made Laveugle’s name public to encourage other victims to come forward.

This name must be known because the goal is to allow possible victims to come forward, Manteaux said at a press briefing, HT earlier reported.

Authorities have since set up a hotline and released photographs of the suspect from different decades, urging anyone with information to contact investigators.

Crimes across countries

Prosecutors said the memoir describes sexual abuse in multiple countries, including France, Germany, Switzerland, Morocco, Algeria, Niger, the Philippines, India and the French territory of New Caledonia.

Laveugle worked in various roles, as a school teacher, private tutor and cave exploration guide, which gave him access to minors in France and abroad.

Manteaux also confirmed that the suspect has acknowledged killing his terminally ill mother and later suffocating his 92-year-old aunt, triggering a parallel investigation.