The former partner of a man accused of drugging his wife so other men could rape her has spoken out about the alleged abuse she says she endured during their relationship.
Daniela Aichinger, 39, died on June 25 after suffering injuries while she was being sexually abused.
Police are investigating her husband, 51-year-old Robert Aichinger, after uncovering messages in which he allegedly discussed repeatedly drugging his wife and handing her over, unconscious, to men in exchange for payment.
Prosecutors have described the disturbing case as “Pelicot 2.0,” a reference to Gisele Pelicot, the French woman who was raped on numerous occasions by dozens of men after her husband drugged her.
Aichinger’s ex-wife has now detailed troubling claims about their marriage, alleging that his violent outbursts included abusing their pet dog and punching her in the face.
The 48-year-old woman, who has not been named, said in a police interview that her husband at the time became increasingly violent following the birth of their first son, Austrian newspaper Krone reports.
She said her husband asked her to have sex with other couples, to which she refused.
‘As a result, he sat down on me…and punched me in the face alternately with both fists,’ she said.
Robert Aichinger, was found to have exchanged messages with men revealing that he had drugged his wife repeatedly and handed her unconscious to men for payment
Daniela Aichinger, 39, died on June 25 after sustaining injuries while being sexually abused
The exterior of the home where the alleged sexual and violent abuse took place
‘I had never experienced him like that before. Eventually he let go of me and went to sleep.’
The woman was left with a broken jaw, as well as bruising to her jaw and cheekbone.
She also described an incident in which her ex-husband had ‘severely beaten’ their dog, saying that the incident left the pet trembling in fear at the sight of the man.
The woman’s claims come after her ex-husband was arrested following the death of his current wife, who was found lifeless and covered in blood on a waterbed by her teenage daughter back in June.
Her husband, who was intoxicated, initially told first responders his wife had an accident during ‘rough sex’, news outlet 20 Minuten reports.
Police did not initially suspect the 51-year-old husband. However, an autopsy and a search of his phone revealed that the woman’s death was linked to something more sinister.
Following his wife’s death, police found that the man disposed of the waterbed and deleted an app on his phone.
Police discovered that just days before his wife’s death, the man had allegedly looked up how to drug someone on his device.
Robert initially told first responders that his wife had an accident during ‘rough sex’ before he was later arrested
The couple’s neighbour (pictured) has been arrested and stands accused of sexually assaulting Daniela twice
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He subsequently drugged his wife repeatedly over an extended period and handed her, unconscious, to men for payment, including on the night she died, local media reports.
The woman’s husband was paid up to 500 Euros per session and would refer to his wife as ‘dead meat’ in text messages.
Her husband has been arrested alongside a neighbour, who is accused of sexually assaulting the woman twice, including on the night of her death.
He is understood to have left the house before she died.
Text messages between the two men were found to mention the alleged abuse of the woman, newspaper Krone reports.
On the night of her death, her husband allegedly sent his neighbour a photo of his unconscious wife.
In one text, the woman’s husband wrote: ‘I’ll get her properly drunk. Then you can have sex with her again. The way she was whining the other day was amazing.’
His neighbour responded: ‘She almost screamed. You cover her mouth again.’
He also thanked the woman’s husband for ‘allowing me to use her’.
In another text, the husband revealed his wife had not consented to the acts. He wrote: ‘She’s not participating willingly.’
He also said: ‘If it worked, if I had date rape drugs, I would regularly make her available for you to rape.’
The day before the woman’s death, her husband also allegedly shared photos of his wife with the man, and in a separate text message wrote: ‘But he does know that it’s a real rape and she would never go along with it?’
The case has been likened to that of Gisele Pelicot (pictured in October 2025) who was raped by dozens of men on numerous occasions after being drugged by her husband
More suspects remain under investigation as a police probe continues.
The case follows the high-profile trial that shocked France in 2024, in which Dominique Pelicot admitted to drugging his wife Gisele for almost a decade and inviting dozens of men to rape her while she was unconscious.
He was found guilty on all charges last year and sentenced to 20 years in prison, which was the maximum possible.
He admitted his role and did not appeal.
All 50 of his co-defendants were also found guilty of various charges related to the case.
The trial drew international attention after Gisele opposed a closed hearing, a demand made by several defendants.
The court sided with her. Her courage inspired campaigners against sexual and sexist violence, and the shocking case spurred a national reckoning over rape culture in France.
The evidence included stomach-churning homemade videos of rapes and assaults that Dominique Pelicot filmed in the couple’s home in the small Provence town of Mazan and elsewhere.