High-Profile Sexual Offense Trials in France Spotlight Decades of Abuse and Pimping Charges

Two significant legal proceedings are currently underway in France involving serious sexual offense allegations against prominent individuals. In Lyon, Laurent Moussière, a 60-year-old former emergency operator and Red Cross volunteer, faces a maximum 20-year prison sentence for rapes and sexual assaults mostly on minors between 1990 and 2021. Prosecutor Vincent Auger described Moussière as a “sexual predator” who exploited his position to gain trust from vulnerable boys aged 13 to 16, often from troubled backgrounds. Moussière allegedly lured victims with promises of parties, alcohol, and cannabis. Authorities identified 38 victims, with 21 cases formally charged. The first report emerged in 2019 during an unrelated police investigation, exposing nearly three decades of repeated abuse.

Separately, in the Paris region, 75-year-old comedian Philippe Caubère has been charged with proxénétisme (pimping) after allegedly coercing a victim into paid sexual relations with hundreds of men through online ads. Known already for facing charges including rape, sexual assault, and corruption of minors involving three girls aged over 15, Caubère’s crimes reportedly spanned from 2010 to 2022. Since February 2024, he has been under judicial control, which includes a ban on engaging with minors or victims and mandatory treatment. The case also involves allegations of obstructing justice, with Caubère’s former lawyer charged with destroying evidence, particularly a personal computer potentially containing incriminating data.

These cases highlight long-term exploitation and abuse spanning decades, underscoring the judiciary's efforts to address and bring to account offenders in high-profile sexual offense scenarios in France.