A MAN has been accused of drugging and raping his wife alongside 12 other men.
The shocking 48 alleged offences span more than two decades.
The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared in Manchester Minshull Crown Court today following sexual abuse claims dating back to the early 2000s.
The defendant is in his 60s and attended court alongside 12 other men.
He pleaded not guilty to accusations that he drugged his wife in order to rape and sexually assault her.
The other men, who also cannot be identified, are aged between 28 and 73.
They have been charged with conspiracy offences, with 10 of them said to have committed contact sexual offences.
Seven of the men, including the husband, have denied the charges, with five men yet to enter their pleas.
One man in his 50s has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to rape, conspiracy to assault by penetration, conspiracy to administer a substance, and assault by penetration.
All 13 defendants are from the UK with nine from the Greater Manchester area.
The husband has been charged with 23 counts of offences that he is said to have committed on his own.
He’s also been charged with eight conspiracy offences and 17 attacks allegedly committed with the other men.
The charges include:
- 18 counts of rape
- 13 counts of assault by penetration
- Seven counts of sexual assault
- Four counts of conspiracy to rape
- Three counts of conspiracy to commit assault by penetration
- Conspiracy to administer a noxious substance
- One count of administering a noxious substance
- One count of sharing an intimate photographs or video without consent
In court, the list of offences was 18 pages long and took 23 minutes to read.
Five of the husband’s co-defendants appeared in court alongside him.
Another five were on bail and sat in the docks while two others appeared from prions.
Member’s of the woman’s family attended the hearing, watching from the public gallery.
Another hearing will take place in March and a trial date has been set for September 1.
