A man accused of committing 16 rapes and sexual assaults attempted suicide by hanging in his prison cell on the fifth day of his trial in the Pas-de-Calais region of northern France. The accused, a 54-year-old former tattoo artist from Arras, was found hanging in his cell on Thursday, the day before the final day of his trial. He was rushed to the hospital in a serious condition after emergency services spent an hour trying to resuscitate him before transporting him by helicopter to a hospital in Lille. His current condition remains unknown. The trial began last Friday in Saint-Omer, a town in the Pas-de-Calais department, where the man is accused of committing five rapes and eleven sexual assaults on clients between 2006 and 2023. The case had been expected to conclude on Friday with a possible conviction carrying a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. However, the trial was interrupted on Thursday morning when the accused failed to appear. The court president later explained that the man had attempted suicide during the night and was found hanging in his cell. The trial had been scheduled to proceed with closing arguments from the civil parties, the defense, and the prosecution on Thursday. The verdict was expected to be delivered by Friday at the latest. However, the proceedings have now been "suspended" pending "consolidated information," according to Saint-Omer prosecutor Annelise Cau, who confirmed the update to AFP. A new update is scheduled for 2 p.m. to determine whether the trial should continue in the absence of the accused. The incident has raised questions about the handling of the trial and the mental state of the accused. While the legal process moves forward, the man’s health remains a critical concern. The court will now decide whether to proceed with the trial or delay it further based on the information provided by medical professionals.