This Monday, January 13, 2025, the Orne Assize Court opens the appeal trial of Jean-Noël Dagnicourt, a 62-year-old man accused of raping a young woman in Caen, in October 2020. During a first judgment in October 2023 before the Calvados Assize Court, he was sentenced to eighteen years of criminal imprisonment, accompanied by a security period of twelve years old. The attorney general, who had requested life imprisonment, appealed this decision.
The facts: an attack in October 2020
According to Ouest-France, the case dates back to October 24, 2020. Manoë, then aged 22, contacted the Caen police station to report a rape in a hotel room in the Saint-Jean district. On site, the police discovered Jean-Noël Dagnicourt, a man already known for serious crimes: he spent nearly thirty years in prison after convictions for murder and rape.
Manoë and Jean-Noël Dagnicourt had met a few months earlier at the Public Mental Health Establishment (EPSM) in Caen. She was treated there for gender dysphoria. “Manoë was a boy at birth,” says his mother. For his part, Jean-Noël Dagnicourt received treatment there for his alcohol addiction.
According to the young woman’s testimony, she considered him “a nice grandpa”. But that day, everything changed. After consuming a large quantity of whiskey, the man allegedly committed acts of anal penetration and sodomy under duress.
An appeal brought by the general advocate
During the first trial, Sophie Paillocher, general counsel, highlighted the dangerousness of the accused, estimating that only life imprisonment with a security period of 22 years could prevent any recidivism. She had described the initial sentence of eighteen years of criminal imprisonment as insufficient and immediately appealed this verdict.
The appeal trial: two days to decide the fate of the accused
This new trial, which opened before the Orne Assize Court, mobilizes nine jurors – five men and four women – responsible for ruling on the fate of Jean-Noël Dagnicourt. The proceedings are expected to last two days, with a verdict expected on Tuesday, January 14 at the end of the day.
