TRAUMATISED Amanda Stanhope has revealed she was raped more than a thousand times by her evil partner while she was unconscious.
Amanda was put through such daily mental torture by David Rogerson that she took antidepressants and sleeping pills to block out the torment – then he started to prey on her at night too.
In an astonishing and heartbreaking interview, Amanda says: “I am the British Gisele Pelicot.
“What happened to her, happened to me.
“I was on so much medication that he was able to rape me every night for more than three years.
“It was only when he hit me so hard during one attack that I actually woke up.
“My world fell apart. I was in love with an evil, calculating, manipulative monster.
“When Gisele spoke out, I realised I wasn’t alone. Now by doing the same, I hope I can help other women too.”
Gisele’s husband of 50 years, Dominique, was arrested for “upskirting” women in a supermarket near their home in France in 2020.
A police investigation uncovered more than 20,000 images and videos of an unconscious and drugged Gisele being sexually assaulted by 72 different men. She had no memory of the incidents.
Her case mirrors that of 52-year-old Amanda.
The rockabilly fan, who worked as a hypnotherapist treating NHS workers and police officers for anxiety and depression, met Rogerson in 2019 at a rock and roll dance event in a Manchester social club.
Mum-of-two Amanda, who has waived her right to anonymity to speak to The Sun, says: “As I was dancing, I noticed a man just staring at me.
“At the end of the night, he suddenly walked over and pulled me in for a kiss. We hadn’t even had a conversation.
“I was taken aback, flattered. Looking back, he was a predator; charming, confident. He pursued me. He made me feel like I was the only person in the world who mattered to him.
“He moved into my home very quickly, and the first few months were bliss. We had a great connection. He shared his life story with me, said we were soul mates.
“Everything I said I liked, he liked too. I was groomed from the off.”
‘He was Jekyll and Hyde’
But then Rogerson, who gave up his job in construction saying he had been diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, turned on her.
She says: “We were at a rockabilly event and I was excited for him to join all my friends.
“He refused, he stood alone and then went nuts when I danced with someone else. He physically dragged me off the dance floor, calling me all the names under the sun and stormed off while I cried.
He was Jekyll and Hyde. I was constantly treading on eggshells. I wouldn’t make eye contact with a man just in case it set him off.
Amanda Stanhope
“He finally came home at 5am. I was astounded at his behaviour but relieved he was back.
“He was full of tears and apologies, blaming his autism. I forgave him, I was hooked, I had fallen for his soul mates line.”
It was a pattern that repeated itself time and time again.
He would humiliate and intimidate her or fly into a rage if she spoke to another man, but win her around by telling her they were meant to be together.
She says: “He was Jekyll and Hyde. I was constantly treading on eggshells. I wouldn’t make eye contact with a man just in case it set him off.
“One night he went mental because we were watching a live band and he said I was looking at the singer.”
His coercive control became so extreme that Amanda became anxious and unable to sleep.
She says: “I went to the doctor. They prescribed sleeping pills, beta blockers and antidepressants.
“I was knocked out unconscious at night. Then the real nightmare began.
“I’d wake up with a strange, overwhelming feeling of dread that something wasn’t right.
“Many times I’d have a towel underneath me in bed or no pyjamas on. It didn’t make sense.
“Dave would say, ‘You’re on that many drugs you just can’t remember what you did’.
“He’d say things like, ‘You enjoyed yourself last night!’
“I felt embarrassed and ashamed. I had no recollection of us having sex. He would laugh.”
Domestic abuse – how to get help
DOMESTIC abuse can affect anyone – including men – and does not always involve physical violence.
Here are some signs that you could be in an abusive relationship:
- Emotional abuse – Including being belittled, blamed for the abuse – gaslighting – being isolated from family and friends, having no control over your finances, what you where and who you speak to
- Threats and intimidation – Some partners might threaten to kill or hurt you, destroy your belongings, stalk or harass you
- Physical abuse – This can range from slapping or hitting to being shoved over, choked or bitten.
- Sexual abuse – Being touched in a way you do not want to be touched, hurt during sex, pressured into sex or forced to have sex when you do not consent.
If any of the above apply to you or a friend, you can call these numbers:
Remember, you are not alone.
1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men will experience domestic abuse over the course of their lifetime.
Every 30 seconds the police receive a call for help relating to domestic abuse.
The cycles of abuse left Amanda trauma-bonded to him.
She explains: “He would go from treating me like a princess to being a cruel monster. I was in such a state that I started to forget where I was going or even where I lived. I thought I was going mad.”
‘I wanted the torment to stop’
Confused, Amanda returned to her GP, who increased her medication and booked her in for an Alzheimer’s test.
She says: “Dave even took me to the appointment. That feels like one of the cruellest things he did.”
Weeks later, they went to a dance event in the Midlands. But another row erupted, and he left her in the hotel room sobbing and alone.
Amanda says: “I am ashamed to say that I took an overdose.
“I wanted the torment to stop. I was trapped and felt helpless, too scared and ashamed to tell anyone what I was going through.”
Rogerson found her unconscious and rang 999.
But, while waiting for the ambulance, he lay her face down on the bed and raped her.
Amanda says: “He was slapping my bottom so hard that I came to, but I couldn’t move or speak because of the drugs. I was frozen still, but screaming inside as he grunted and had sex with me.
“I wasn’t sure if I was dead or alive.”
Afterwards, Amanda suffered a nervous breakdown.
Rogerson became her full-time carer – taking control of every single part of her life.
Until just a few weeks later, at her home near Manchester, she somehow woke up again as he was raping her.
She says: “Something snapped inside me. I told my brother, made Dave leave and called the police. I told them about that incident and the time in the hotel.”
‘Gisele’s case was so similar’
But it wasn’t until she started therapy and saw Gisele’s case that she realised you could be raped by your own partner.
Amanda says: “Gisele’s case was so similar.
“She had been unconscious too, on medication, and she too thought she had dementia. I don’t know if other men were involved in my case. I hope and pray they weren’t.”
Amanda went back to the police and told them everything.
I was so angry. That coward had robbed me of justice
Amanda Stanhope
In April this year, Rogerson was charged with four individual counts of rape, one of assault by penetration and “multiple” rapes over a time period of two years and two months between 2021 and 2023.
He had filmed one assault on Amanda and posted photos of her on websites.
He was bailed to appear in court to make a plea. But just six weeks later, before he could face justice, the 56-year-old took his own life.
Just like Gisele – who returned to court last week to face one of her attackers who tried and failed to appeal against his conviction – Amanda wanted to see Rogerson in the dock.
Amanda says: “I was so angry. That coward had robbed me of justice.”
Gisele, who now fears she may have cervical cancer linked to the sex attacks, has constantly given Amanda strength.
Amanda says: “Gisele has shown me that you can be strong and you can recover. That man robbed me of years of my life. I won’t let him destroy my future too.
“I have to see his death as a new beginning for me. I am having therapy, I want to get back to full health and return to work.”
You’re Not Alone
EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide
It doesn’t discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.
It’s the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.
And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women.
Yet it’s rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.
That is why The Sun launched the You’re Not Alone campaign.
The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives.
Let’s all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others… You’re Not Alone.
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:
