French teacher Leveugle is accused of committing sexual crimes against minors aged 13 to 17 from 1967 to 2022. (symbolic picture)
Digital Desk, New Delhi. A 79-year-old former teacher in France has been accused of raping and sexually exploiting 89 minors over five decades. Prosecutor Etienne Manto has made the identity of this accused public, so that more victims can come forward. This crime is spread in nine countries, which also includes India. The accused has been in custody since 2024 and investigators are now searching for witnesses and victims.
The prosecutor said that the name of the accused was not disclosed earlier because it was necessary to confirm the facts. Now the purpose of revealing the names is that the potential victims themselves come forward and help in the process of justice. The name of the accused is Jacques Leveugle, who was born in 1946 in Annecy, France.
In which countries did the accused commit the crime?
Leveugle is accused of committing sexual crimes against minors aged 13 to 17 from 1967 to 2022. The crimes took place in Germany, Switzerland, Morocco, Niger, Algeria, the Philippines, India, Colombia and the French territory of New Caledonia. He worked as a freelance teacher and instructor at these places.
Prosecutor Manto said that the accused used to roam in these countries and wherever he settled, he used to meet youth on the pretext of tuition or studies and have sexual relations with them. His roles included instructor of the science of caves (speleology) and French teacher. The victims told investigators that he spent a lot of time teaching them foreign languages and making them aware of the culture. Manto has described the personality of the accused as complex.
Secret revealed from USB drive
The matter came to light when a USB drive of the accused was found in which he had written in detail about his 'sexual relations' with minors. The USB was found by his nephew, who was searching the luggage of the accused in his absence in October 2023. The nephew was curious about the emotional and sexual life of the accused.
The USB had content in 15 parts, investigation of which led to the identification of 89 minors. Investigators are trying to locate the victims from these documents, but in many places the names are incomplete, making it difficult to trace them decades later. Manto said that initially it was thought that all the victims would be found through internal investigation, but this was not possible.
The matter became even more serious during the investigation, when the accused confessed to the murder of his mother and aunt. He killed his cancer-stricken mother by pressing her with a pillow. Similarly, a 92 year old aunty was killed while sleeping. The accused told investigators that the aunt was stopping him from returning to Cevennes and was crying, so he did so.
Justifying his actions, he said that if he himself was in such a situation, someone would do the same to him. These murders are separate from sex crimes, but added to the investigation. Authorities have now started a hotline so that people can contact and provide information.
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