Self-Proclaimed Hypnotherapist Faces Trial in France for Drugging and Raping Women

Shocking Case in Southern France

A man is on trial in southern France, accused of drugging and sexually assaulting women, as well as filming his attacks. Self-taught dance instructor and hypnotherapist Cyril Zattara faces charges of raping 14 women over the course of a decade, during which he reportedly secretly filmed approximately 20 other women.

Zattara, who has been held pending trial since 2021, has admitted to 10 counts of rape. The trial is currently taking place behind closed doors in the city of Aix-en-Provence, at the request of one of the victims, and is scheduled to last at least two weeks. Other women have called for public hearings, wanting their voices to be heard by a larger audience.

According to investigations, Zattara allegedly added sleeping pills to the drinks of his victims before sexually assaulting them. He often targeted women with whom he was friends or in intimate relationships. Police discovered photographs and videos on Zattara's computer showing the victims in a lethargic state during the sexual acts.

One woman, who filed a complaint against him in 2019 after attending one of his hypnotherapy sessions, stated that she consumed wine he offered her and later woke up, recalling in fragments that she had been raped by Zattara and that she had vomited. His DNA was found under her nails and on her lingerie, and toxicology results indicated the presence of powerful sedative drugs.

Zattara's trial comes on the heels of the high-profile case of Dominique Pelicot, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison for drugging and raping his ex-wife, Gisèle, while inviting dozens of strangers to abuse her over nearly a decade.