A 61-year-old Swedish man accused of coercing his wife into having sexual relations with over 120 men has gone on trial in Härnösand, according to the BBC. The trial. Which began on Friday. Is drawing international attention and has been compared to the case of Frenchman Dominique Pelicot, who was found to have drugged and allowed other men to rape his then-wife Gisèle over nine years.

Allegations of Coercion and Control

The accused is alleged to have used the remoteness of their farm near Kramfors in northern Sweden, along with surveillance cameras and drugs, to force his wife into performing sexual acts with men he found online. He denies wrongdoing and claims the encounters were consensual, stating that he merely helped organize them.

According to the charges. The man started forcing his wife to have sexual relations with men who traveled to their home from across the country in exchange for payment in 2022. The abuse reportedly ceased when she filed a police report in October 2025.

Prosecutors allege that he used drugs to push her limits and exploited the secluded nature of their home, along with her limited network of contacts, to exert control over her. Surveillance cameras installed in their home were also used to monitor and control her, with footage from these cameras to be submitted as evidence in the trial.

Threats and Evidence

The indictment lodged by prosecutors. According to public broadcaster SVT, states that the man threatened to kill his wife, pour petrol on her, burn her, and cut off her fingers. The trial has moved into a closed session to protect the identity of the alleged victim, who has not been identified and has since divorced her husband.

Earlier this year, the accused was charged with numerous crimes, including several counts of rape, attempted rape, and assault. Prosecutors will seek to show in court that he exploited her vulnerable situation and her fear of him to normalize his coercive behavior.

Online chats, payments, and calendar entries are among the pieces of evidence prosecutors intend to use. Though 120 men have been identified by Swedish authorities, only 28 have been charged in relation to the case. Most of those identified have denied the allegations against them, saying they either did not have sex with the woman or did not pay for it.

Defense and Trial Duration

The trial is expected to last 14 days. The defendant’s defense lawyer, Martina Michaelsdotter Olsson, told SVT as the trial began that her client does not recognize the same picture as the one the prosecutor presents.

The former husband has not been identified, save for his age. The trial is being closely watched, with prosecutors seeking to establish a clear link between the accused and the alleged coercion of his wife into sexual encounters with more than 120 men.

The case has already sparked international discussion, with comparisons drawn to the Dominique Pelicot case. The trial is set to continue in Härnösand, with the court aiming to uncover the full extent of the accused’s actions and the alleged victim’s experience during the period of abuse.