In France, a case of extreme severity has shocked society. This concerns the arrest of Pierre-Alain Cottineau, a 32-year-old social worker, president of a local LGBT association and former candidate of La France Insoumise, the far-left party led by Jean-Luc Mélenchon.
Cottineau, arrested in the city of Oudon, is accused of leading a network of sexual abuse against minors between six months and five years old, some with disabilities and allegedly drugged with sedatives to suppress their will.
Another four left-wing activists, three French and one Belgian with similar backgrounds, have been arrested along with the left-wing activist and face charges that could result in life imprisonment.
A key element in identifying Cottineau was a blanket visible in one of the videos, which made it possible to locate his residence. According to the newspaper Le Parisien, the audiovisual evidence is "inhuman" and "hardly bearable", showing acts of extreme cruelty against the victims.
