French 'hypnotherapist' on trial for drugging and raping women

Cyril Zattara is charged with raping 14 women over a decade, as well as secretly filming others.

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A man is on trial in southern France accused of drugging and sexually abusing women, as well as filming some of the assaults.

Dance teacher and self-taught hypnotherapist Cyril Zattara is charged with raping 14 women over a decade, as well as allegedly secretly filming around 20 other women.

Zattara, who has been held in detention awaiting trial since 2021, has admitted 10 rape charges.

The trial is being held behind closed doors in the city of Aix-en-Provence at the request of one of the alleged victims, and is due to last at least two weeks. Others had sought open proceedings, saying they wanted their voices to be heard by as many people as possible.