Man Accused of Manipulating Elderly Woman for Financial Gain

A 46-year-old man is currently facing trial in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques criminal court, beginning May 18, 2026, for the alleged exploitation of an elderly woman, from whom he reportedly extorted a considerable fortune before imprisoning her in Morocco. The defendant, who has been in pre-trial detention since 2023, is charged with kidnapping, unlawful detention, abuse of vulnerability, and money laundering.

The case revolves around the man's relationship with an octogenarian widow, whom he met in 2019 while posing as a wine salesman. Aware that the 88-year-old woman had no children or close relatives, he convinced her that he could care for her. In February 2020, he formalized their relationship by entering into a civil partnership, giving him power of attorney over her financial assets.

Financial Exploitation and Imprisonment

According to the prosecution, the alleged financial exploitation began shortly after the partnership was established. Within two weeks, the man reportedly closed the victim's bank accounts and life insurance contracts, amassing a total of €830,000. He also directed her to invest in real estate through the establishment of a real estate company, while simultaneously diverting her monthly pension of €1,300.

In 2022, the elderly woman was taken to Morocco by the accused, after residing in multiple different residences in France. Deprived of her finances and freedom, she was found living in a cramped space of about 3 square meters, where she was essentially held captive by the new partner of the man. The authorities were alerted to her situation in 2023 by a business intermediary who, after accidentally receiving a copy of the civil partnership agreement, reported the suspicious age difference to a distant relative of the victim.

The prosecution emphasized that through controlling her finances and restricting her mobility, the accused rendered the elderly woman completely dependent on him, stripping her of her autonomy and ultimately sending her to a foreign country she was unfamiliar with. Upon his arrest during a return trip to France, the accused denied the charges, claiming that the elderly woman had always consented to their arrangement. Tragically, the victim passed away in 2025 at the age of 94 in a nursing home in Casablanca. Additionally, a notary involved in the case was initially charged but later exonerated by the investigating chamber.

As reported by lanouvellerepublique.fr.