Vienne: man convicted of ten years for incestuous rape of his daughters
The criminal court of Poitiers found André Schillet guilty of rape and sexual assault on his two daughters. He was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment on 12 October.
Conviction for incestuous rape in Vienne
André Schillet, 63, was found guilty of rape and incestuous sexual assault by the departmental criminal court of Vienne, in Poitiers, according to BFM TV. The judges sentenced him to ten years' imprisonment on Monday 12 October, following a three-day trial.
The man maintained his innocence at the hearing and intends to appeal the sentence. Beyond the prison sentence, he is prohibited from making contact with the victims and their mother for three years.
The accusations relate to acts dating from 2018, when the elder daughter contacted the prosecutor of the Republic of Le Mans to request a restraining order. She then revealed having suffered rape and sexual touching between 2001 and 2009 in Chauvigny. The younger daughter reported intimate caresses from her father the following year.
Several witnesses supported the two complainants. The accused's half-brother notably testified that he himself had been a victim of sexual abuse in childhood. Third parties close to André Schillet — his current partner and his stepchildren — came forward to defend him, describing him as "a calm man, a bon vivant with entirely normal sexuality".
The accused presented his defence by invoking "revenge" orchestrated by his adult daughters and a conspiracy fomented by the complainants and their mother. His lawyer, Maître Ibrahima Niass Dia, acknowledged the lack of emotion his client showed towards his former partners, while distinguishing this from the rape accusations. The judges did not accept these arguments.
Source: BFM TV