French Hypnotherapist Faces Trial for Drugging and Assaulting Women

A man is on trial in southern France

A man is on trial in southern France, accused of drugging and sexually assaulting women, as well as filming some of the attacks. Self-taught dance teacher and hypnotherapist Cyril Zattara is accused of raping 14 women over the course of a decade and is also suspected of secretly filming approximately 20 others.

Zattara, who has been held in custody awaiting trial since 2021, has admitted to ten counts of rape. The trial is taking place behind closed doors in Aix-en-Provence at the request of one of the victims and is expected to last at least two weeks. Other victims have called for a public trial, wishing for their voices to be heard by as many people as possible.

According to a police investigation, Zattara allegedly added sleeping pills to the women’s drinks before sexually assaulting them. He reportedly targeted women with whom he was friends or had intimate relationships. Investigators discovered photographs and videos on Zattara's computer that showed 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 drank the wine he offered her and later woke up with fragmented memories of being raped by Zattara and vomiting. His DNA was found under her nails and on her lingerie, and toxicology results showed the presence of powerful sedatives in her system.

Zattara's trial follows a high-profile case involving Dominique Pelicot, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison after drugging and raping his ex-wife Gisèle, inviting dozens of strangers to abuse her for nearly a decade. If you have been affected by issues related to this story, help and support are available through helplines.