Husband and other men repeatedly drugged, raped woman over 13 years, prosecutors say

London: British authorities have charged a man with repeatedly drugging and raping a woman who is now his ex-wife over a 13-year period.

Five other men have been charged with sexual offences against the same woman.

Philip Young, 49, faces 56 charges, including multiple counts of rape, administering a substance with intent to stupefy or overpower to allow sexual activity, and voyeurism, the UK Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said in a statement on Monday, London time.

Young, also charged with possession of indecent images of children and other extreme images, has been remanded in custody and is due to appear at Swindon Magistrates’ Court, west of London, on Tuesday, the statement said.

The London Telegraph reported that 139 of the 230 images of children he is alleged to have possessed were category A, deemed the worst, citing the CPS.

Young was also charged with breaching Section 1 of the Obscene Publications Act 1959 on at least 500 occasions, according to the Telegraph.

While British law automatically protects the identity of the victims of sexual crimes, Joanne Young, 48, his ex-wife, waived her legal right to anonymity ahead of court proceedings, the CPS said, adding that the alleged offences took place between 2010 and 2023.

It was not clear from the CPS statement when the Youngs divorced.

“She has asked to be named in this press release and is being supported by specially trained officers and partner agencies,” Detective Superintendent Geoff Smith from Wiltshire Police said in a statement.

“We would ask that her privacy is respected at this time.”

The other men charged are Norman Macksoni, 47, Dean Hamilton, 46, Conner Sanderson Doyle, 31, Richard Wilkins, 61, and Mohammed Hassan, 37, the CPS said.

Macksoni, 47, has been charged with one count of rape and possession of extreme images; Hamilton, 47, with one count of rape and sexual assault by penetration and two counts of sexual touching; Doyle, 31, with sexual assault by penetration and sexual touching; Wilkins, 61, with one count of rape and sexual touching; and Hassan, 37, with sexual touching.

All five have been released on bail and are also due to appear in court.

“This is a significant update in what is a complex and extensive investigation,” Smith said.

AP, Reuters