A convicted rapist from Guadeloupe has been handed a 20-year prison sentence for the attempted rape of a 102-year-old resident of a nursing home in the French city of Rouen.
On Wednesday, the Seine-Maritime Assize Court found 39-year-old Laury Jean-Baptiste guilty of the offense, which occurred on Feb. 17, 2023 in the Sapins district of the city.
The court heard how the elderly victim had been found in an adjacent room to her own in the early hours of the morning in shock and with scratches on her forearms, face, and lower abdomen.
She told carers that a man had attempted to rape her while she lay in bed but she had managed to resist and cause him to panic and flee.
Sadly, the victim passed away less than a month after the attack.
CCTV footage from the home confirmed the intrusion of a tall male of slim build, leading police to the suspect who was due to complete a personal assistance internship at the home.
Further investigations found positive traces of the suspect’s DNA on the victim’s clothing, bed, and the window ledge to her room, which is believed to be how he had gained access.
He was arrested in early March and held in pre-trial detention.
Up until his trial, the suspect denied the attempted rape charge, initially claiming to have been at his former girlfriend’s house on the night of the attack, before later changing his story to accepting his presence at the home but insisting he was simply trying to find a place to store his belongings.
His story changed further still this week in court, telling the judge: “I confused the lady with my 58-year-old lover that I had already come to see at night — a secret relationship.
Speaking about the encounter, he added, “I lay down next to her. I caressed her. She was afraid, I was panicked. I left without brutality. I like it when relationships are sensual. I was not erect, my penis was not in the mood.”
Jean-Baptiste has a previous record in his home country having been convicted of raping a 50-year-old victim in similar circumstances at her home in Guadeloupe back in 2010.
A psychiatric report provided to the court found no psychiatric disorders but a significant criminological dangerousness within the suspect who was described as “perverse.” The expert added that the suspect has “below-average intelligence.”
He told the court he endured a difficult upbringing, claiming that his mother had been particularly violent and practiced witchcraft with animal carcasses.
His prison sentence was confirmed in court on Wednesday.
