A bartender from Nantes has claimed to be subject to sexsomnia, a rare pathology, in response to accusations of rape against him.
Three women have filed a complaint for rape and others denounce similar practices. The case began when, on July 10, 2021, a woman surrendered at the University Hospital of Nantess. To health professionals, she claims to have been “victim of a rape at the home of a friend following an evening in a bar”reports The Parisian. With her friend and two servers from the bar in question, they would have slept in the same place. If she explains that she did not push the bartender away, without answering, when he kissed her and started “caress”after one “digital penetration” she has him “say no”. Subsequently, she was “awake” by the man who “penetrated her with his penis”.
After learning of these facts, two other women reported similar experiences. One of them assures that the man had confided to her that he had a “problem” and “could penetrate his partner while sleeping without realizing it”. One of his former partners also accuses him of violence, he would have in particular tried to strangle him. During his request for release on July 21, which was refused, the 30-year-old man explained “not to remember” of the acts with which he is charged and “suffering from attacks of sexual somnambulism”.
Sexsomnia or sexual somnambulism
A study 2010 Canadian study, published by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, revealed that almost 8% of patients with sleep disorders were prone to sexsomnia. This is characterized by sexual activity during sleep, without memory of it on waking. This particular disorder affects more men (11%) than women (4%). If the statistics seem important, the researchers wanted to recall that only the cases of “patients referred to a sleep clinic” had been studied. “So we can expect the numbers to be much lower in the general population”say the scientists.