‘Pelicot 2.0’ husband ‘boasted of selling his wife for £400 per rape’ before she died from injuries sustained by the sexual assaults, relative claims
An Austrian truck driver, Robert Aichinger, 51, is under investigation after his wife Daniela, 39, died on 25 June from injuries sustained during sexual assaults he allegedly arranged. Prosecutors have dubbed the case "Pelicot 2.0", drawing comparisons to the French case of Gisele Pelicot, who was drugged and raped by dozens of men arranged by her husband. His sister has now claimed he bragged to her about drugging his wife and selling her for sex, charging men roughly £429 per encounter, adding further disturbing detail to a case that has reportedly left experienced detectives "shocked and speechless".
Police allege Aichinger repeatedly drugged Daniela and handed her, unconscious, to men for payment, including on the night she died, referring to her as "dead meat" in text messages; he is said to have researched how to drug someone shortly before her death. Daniela was found dead on a blood-covered waterbed by her teenage daughter, with Aichinger initially claiming the injuries resulted from "rough sex" before an autopsy and phone evidence pointed to foul play. His ex-wife has separately alleged he subjected her to violent assaults, including breaking her jaw, after she refused his demands for group sex. He has been arrested alongside a neighbour accused of sexually assaulting Daniela.
- Austrian man accused of drugging wife and selling her for sex before her death
- Case dubbed "Pelicot 2.0" by prosecutors over parallels to French case
- Sister and ex-wife allege years of prior abuse and boasting about the scheme
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Robert Aichinger, a 51-year-old Austrian truck driver, is under investigation over the death of his wife, Daniela, 39, who died on 25 June from injuries linked to sexual assaults he is alleged to have arranged. Austrian prosecutors have nicknamed the case "Pelicot 2.0", a reference to the French case of Gisele Pelicot, whose husband drugged her and arranged for dozens of men to rape her over several years. That earlier case became a landmark example of drug-facilitated abuse organised from within a marriage.
Investigators allege that Aichinger repeatedly drugged Daniela and arranged for men to pay to sexually assault her while she was unconscious, including on the night she died. He initially told police her injuries came from "rough sex", but an autopsy and evidence from his phone reportedly led investigators to suspect otherwise. A neighbour has also been arrested in connection with an alleged assault on Daniela.
The case matters because it raises serious questions about how such abuse could go undetected for a prolonged period, echoing wider public concern sparked by the Pelicot case about drug-facilitated sexual violence within relationships. It remains a live criminal investigation, and the claims from relatives referenced in reporting have not been tested in court.