Nine men on trial for abusing woman allegedly drugged by her husband for over 20 years

The trial of nine men accused of raping and sexually abusing a woman has begun in Manchester, England. According to CNN, her husband allegedly drugged her for more than two decades, leaving her unable to react or resist.

At the opening of the trial on Monday, prosecutors said the defendants had connected with the husband through online groups or a partner-swapping website. They had contacted him after he posted photographs and videos showing the sexual abuse of his wife.

The husband, who is in his 60s and lives in Stockport, northern England, initially took advantage of his wife’s deep sleep after she consumed large amounts of alcohol, according to prosecutors. He later began using a mixture of drugs to keep her unconscious during the abuse.

Prosecutors told the court that, starting in 2023, he brought other men to the couple’s home. While the woman lay unconscious in bed, her husband recorded himself and the other men raping and sexually abusing her.

The investigation began following a discovery by investigative journalists who had infiltrated one of the online groups. There, they found a user who said he had drugged his wife and was inviting strangers to sexually abuse her while she was unconscious.

After establishing his identity, police obtained a warrant to search the home. Several items were seized during the search, including a Samsung Galaxy phone on which, according to prosecutors, more than one million photographs and videos documenting the abuse were found.

The husband pleaded guilty in September to several offences, including rape, sexual assault and administering substances to drug his wife or render her unable to react. His identity is being withheld to protect the victim’s privacy. He remains in custody and will be sentenced at a later date.

All nine men currently on trial deny the charges. Meanwhile, four other co-defendants have pleaded guilty to sexual offences.

The court heard that the couple’s relationship had lasted 44 years and that they had two children together. The woman says she had never met the defendants and was unaware of any sexual contact with them.

She learned of the abuse only when police came to their home in October 2025. According to prosecutors, that revelation marked the end of life as she had known it.