They revealed the identity of the Frenchman accused of sexually abusing 89 minors over five decades in at least nine countries

The French justice system revealed the identity of “Jacques Leveugle”, a 79-year-old man accused of sexually abusing “89 minors” for more than five decades. The prosecution in Grenoble made his identity public to facilitate the presentation of potential victims and witnesses, due to the international scope of the case. The investigation began in February 2024, when Leveugle was charged with aggravated rape and sexual assault against minors; since April 2025 he has been in pre-trial detention while victims are identified and testimonies are collected. The case was discovered after the finding of a USB drive in the accused’s house, delivered by a family member, which contained 15 volumes of personal writings, written by Leveugle, with a detailed list of sexual assaults committed between 1967 and 2022. Among the documents there were also photographs, which allowed the identification of 89 victims, all males between 13 and 17 years old at the time of the events.

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The documented abuses span several countries and territories, including Switzerland, Germany, Morocco, Algeria, Niger, Philippines, India, Colombia and the French territory of New Caledonia. The international mobility of the accused is explained because he worked as a camp supervisor and teacher, roles that gave him access to minors in educational and recreational contexts. The Grenoble prosecutor explained that the urgency of the investigation responds both to the advanced age of the accused and to the difficulty of tracking victims over 55 years and in multiple jurisdictions. In addition to the accusations of sexual abuse, the prosecution also opened an investigation for homicide. Leveugle confessed to having suffocated his terminally ill mother in the 1970s and his 92-year-old aunt in the nineties. The case has caused shock in France and revived debates on how to prevent and address prolonged sexual assaults.