‘Rape chat’ groups with 70,000 members discussing how they have raped their sisters and mothers, offering their wives to be sexually abused and sharing ‘advice’ is uncovered

An investigation has uncovered multiple ‘rape chats’ where thousands of men discuss how to rape and sexually assault women including their own mothers and sisters. 

The groups, which have up to 70,000 members from a variety countries, meet on the encrypted messaging app Telegram to share pictures and even live videos of sexual abuse.

Members have also claimed to have assaulted their wives and female family members with some even sharing advice and instructions on how to do it. 

In one shocking instance, a German man said he would sedate his wife and allow other men to sexually assault her.

The existence of the so-called ‘rape chats’ were discovered over the course of a year-long investigation by German broadcaster ARD and its STRG_F investigative team.

According to the Daily Telegraph, the users also swapped tips on how to sedate partners and shared links to online shops where members could buy sedatives disguised as hair products. 

Over the course of the investigation some of the groups have been shut down but members were sent links to join new ones.

The revelation comes on the final day of the Avignon mass rape trails in France which has seen Dominque Pelicot – alongside 50 other men –  handed jail sentences for drugging, raping and sexual abusing Pelicot’s now ex-wife Gisele Pelicot. 

Gisele Pelicot is seen entering the courtroom moments before the verdicts were delivered 

Dominique Pelicot is seen arriving at court in the back of a police car earlier this week

The trial is France’s worst-ever sexual abuse case and has seen firefighters, soldiers, lorry drivers, a DJ and a journalist among those found guilty of raping 71-year-old Gisele at the behest of her husband Dominique over the course of a decade – all without her knowledge.

Pelicot, 72, who has now become known as the Monster of Avignon, was slapped with a 20-year prison term by Judge Roger Arata after he pleaded guilty to drugging her repeatedly for almost a decade to rape her and to offer up her unconscious body for sex to dozens of strangers.

Several abusers have escaped justice, with police unable to identify more than 20 men involved in Gisele’s abuse.

But Arata handed down guilty sentences to another 50 men besides Pelicot, many of whom contacted Gisele’s husband online and were invited to his home in the sleepy Provence village of Mazan to assault his unconscious wife on camera.

In all, the court found 47 of the defendants guilty of rape, two guilty of attempted rape and two guilty of sexual assault.

The trial has shocked the world but Gisele has been praised for making the courageous decision to waive her automatic anonymity so that the trial could be held in public.

Gisele later emerged from the courtroom to the waiting cameras of the world’s media, saying she was ’emotional’ as she issued a statement after what she said had been ‘a very difficult test for me.’ 

‘I am thinking first and foremost about my children, David, Caroline and Florian. I am thinking also about my grandchildren. For them I really wanted to take this struggle forward.

‘I’m thinking about all the other families affected by the case and the not recognised victims in the shadows… I share their struggle.’

Gisele Pelicot talks to journalists after the verdict in the trial for Dominique Pelicot and 50 co-accused

Gisele looked at each of the defendants as their verdicts were read out. This court sketch depicts her looking at her husband

One of the defendants arrives at the courthouse in Avignon ahead of the verdicts being delivered in the Mazan rape trial

In a statement, Telegram told MailOnline:’ Content that encourages sexual violence is explicitly forbidden by Telegram’s terms of service.  

‘Telegram has a zero-tolerance policy towards misuse of its platform and any groups, channels or users caught participating are immediately removed from the platform.

‘Moderators empowered with AI and machine learning tools proactively monitor public parts of the platform and accept reports from users and organizations to remove millions of pieces of harmful content each day.

‘Authorities or organizations aware of harmful groups are encouraged to report them via DSA channels within the EU or email hotlines elsewhere to aid in swift action. Additionally, valid court orders can be used to obtain IP addresses and phone numbers of violators.’