French prosecutors have charged a 79-year-old former educator, Jacques Leveugle, over allegations of aggravated rape and sexual assault against at least 89 minors across several countries over a period spanning more than five decades.
The announcement was made on Tuesday by prosecutor Etienne Manteaux in Grenoble, southeastern France, as authorities appealed to possible additional victims and witnesses to come forward.
In an unusual move, the prosecutor publicly identified the suspect as Leveugle, born in 1946 in Annecy, an Alpine town near Grenoble. Manteaux said the suspect has been in custody since his indictment in 2024.
The prosecutors stated that the alleged crimes were committed between 1967 and 2022 in multiple countries, including Germany, Switzerland, Morocco, Niger, Algeria, the Philippines, India, Colombia, and the French overseas territory of New Caledonia.
Leveugle reportedly worked in various capacities as a freelance educator, including as a French language teacher and an instructor in speleology—the scientific study of caves—roles that allegedly gave him access to minors.
Investigators said the number of victims was established from extensive written records found on a USB drive belonging to the suspect.
Read also:
- Kano, France strengthen ties on water sector reform
- UK, France to send troops to Ukraine if peace deal is agreed
- France returns slain king’s skull to Madagascar
The documents, described by the prosecutor as spanning 15 volumes, allegedly detail what Leveugle referred to as “sexual relations” with minors aged between 13 and 17.
The USB drive was reportedly discovered by Leveugle’s nephew, who had begun questioning his uncle’s emotional and sexual history.
The materials formed a central part of the investigation, Manteaux said.
In a further disturbing revelation, prosecutors disclosed that during questioning, Leveugle confessed to killing two relatives decades ago.
He allegedly suffocated his terminally ill mother, who was battling cancer, with a pillow in the 1970s, and later killed his 92-year-old aunt in a similar manner in the 1990s.
Manteaux said Leveugle had written in his so-called memoirs that he had “killed two people,” admissions that investigators are now examining as part of the broader criminal case.
French authorities say investigations are ongoing, with international cooperation expected as they seek to identify victims across multiple jurisdictions.
