French grandfather admits 40 rapes and sexual assaults

Father-of-three's youngest victim was allegedly 13 years old

Married 57-year-old confessed to the crimes after police discovered his DNA matched samples collected from a number of rapes (AFP PHOTO / JOEL SAGET)

A grandfather in France has admitted raping and sexually assaulting around 40 women and girls in attacks dating back to the 1980s, according to officials.

The married 57-year-old confessed to the crimes after police discovered his DNA matched samples collected from a number of rapes.

He has not been officially named, but was identified by French media as janitor Dino Scala.

He previously led a local football club, and was “well-liked” by locals in the northern commune of Pont-sur-Sambre, according to the mayor of the town.

The youngest alleged victim of the father-of-three was 13 years old, a police source told AFP news agency.

The 57-year-old was arrested after police identified his vehicle following the rape of a young woman in Belgium last week.

The suspect, nicknamed “the rapist of Sambre”, usually attacked women from behind early in the morning and wore gloves, state prosecutor of nearby Valenciennes Jean-Philippe Vicentini said.

Police had identified 19 of Mr Scala’s victims in France, but he admitted to more than twice that many attacks under questioning, according to Mr Vicentini.

Mr Scala told police he “acted on urges he was unable to control”, the prosecutor told AFP.

After his arrest on Monday in Pont sur-Sambre, Mayor Michel Detait told AFP the alleged crimes did not “fit with his personality” and “he was well-liked” in the town.