A 49-year-old British man has been charged with systematically drugging and raping his former wife over more than a decade, alongside five other men, according to Wiltshire Police.
The six men face over 60 charges for crimes committed between 2010 and 2023. The alleged victim, 48-year-old Joan Young, waived her right to remain anonymous after consulting with investigators and support services.
Her former husband, Philip Young, 49, was arrested and remanded in custody. Police allege he administered substances to her “to make her dizzy or submissive to facilitate sexual activity.” He faces 56 charges, including multiple counts of rape, voyeurism, possession of indecent images of children, and other extreme material.
His five co-accused—Norman MacSony, Dean Hamilton, Conor Sanderson Doyle, Richard Wilkins, and Mohamed Hassan—are aged 31 to 61, with at least three residing in Swindon alongside the Youngs. All co-accused have been released on bail.
Chief Constable Jeff Smith described the investigation as “complex,” reflecting years of covert abuse. The case has drawn comparisons to the high-profile French case of Gisèle Pellico, who was drugged and sexually assaulted for a decade by strangers recruited online by her husband. Pellico became a global symbol of resistance against chemical submission and sexual violence.
Philip Young is scheduled to appear at Swindon Magistrates’ Court today.
