Warning: This story contains descriptions of sexual abuse.
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 claimed open proceedings were necessary to amplify their voices.
Zattara would allegedly slip sleeping pills into women's drinks before sexually assaulting them, according to a police investigation. He often targeted women he was friends with or in intimate relationships with.
Investigators discovered photos and videos on Zattara's computer that showed the alleged victims in a lethargic state during sexual acts.
One complainant, who attended a hypnosis session in 2019, recalled fragments of waking up post-assault after consuming wine offered by Zattara. DNA evidence was found under her fingernails and on her underwear, alongside toxicology results revealing the presence of potent sleep-inducing drugs.
This trial follows a high-profile case in which Dominique Pelicot was sentenced to 20 years for drugging and abusing his ex-wife, Gisèle, and allowing numerous strangers to participate in the assaults over several years.
If you have been affected by the issues in this story, help and support is available via the BBC Action Line.
