The appeal trial for Elysée Ade, known as the "Villette guru," has begun on the Île de la Cité in Paris, following his 2022 conviction for "exploiting the vulnerability of others." More than twenty victims of Ade have been identified by the judiciary, though only four have become civil parties in the case. During the first instance trial, the other victims attended the courtroom to support Ade, who remains under his influence. It remains to be seen if they will do the same during the appeal trial, which runs until October 7. Ade denies all allegations against him, maintaining that the "Warriors of Light" group he founded is not a cult and that he does not exert control over its members. Former followers, however, describe a strong psychological control that affected all aspects of their personal lives. Ade's journey included studies in physics and mathematics, followed by a specialization in video games and computer science. He began giving free martial arts classes, including kung-fu, in the gardens of Villette Park in the 19th arrondissement of Paris. In 2003, he launched a therapist's practice offering paid individual sessions at 50 euros per session and formed the "Warriors of Light" group. Within this group, he taught philosophy and esotericism, including conspiracy theories about "air poisoning" and the idea of detaching from one's ego to serve a collective interest. He created a subgroup called FOX (for "Female Orgasm Expert") composed exclusively of women, where he taught "orgasm lessons," claiming that female orgasm could ensure the salvation of the world. During these sessions, he taught followers to reach the "eighth orgasmic gate," sometimes masturbating them with a sex toy. He is suspected of controlling the lifestyle and thinking of these women, including checking their weight using "weight trackers" and requiring them to stay below 40kg. Former followers who left the group faced significant backlash. Matthieu, one of the civil parties in the trial, reported Ade's actions in 2012 after leaving the group. He received a barrage of threatening emails from other members. According to his lawyer, Rodolphe Bosselut, this was "unprecedented violence." Marie Drilhon, vice president of the Association of Defense of Families and Individuals Victimized by Sects (UNADFI), stated that in a sectarian group, the dynamic is binary: "you're in or out." Those who leave are considered traitors and face ostracism. Three years after Matthieu's report, in 2015, the prosecutor opened an investigation against him for "fraudulent abuse of ignorance or weakness" and placed him under judicial supervision. He was also brought before the courts for a sexual assault (a corrected rape) on one of his former followers during a session with the FOX. During the first instance trial, which took place in October 2022 before the Paris Correctional Court, Ade was sentenced to thirty months in prison, twelve of which must be served in custody under electronic monitoring. He was found guilty of "exploiting the vulnerability of others" but acquitted on the sexual assault charge. During the trial, Ade consistently denied any sectarian deviation in his practices, emphasizing that his followers followed him of their own free will. During the first instance trial, the civil parties noted that many of the victims who attended the hearing were still supporters of Ade, with some, particularly members of the FOX group, dressed similarly and displaying uniform reactions. This phenomenon was described as "an army of little robots" supporting their "living god." Marie Drilhon noted that in similar trials, many individuals remain followers and do not consider themselves victims, often coming to defend the accused. The civil parties hope the appeal trial will confirm the first instance sentence. They emphasized the courage of those who have continued their legal journey to be recognized as victims. The lawyer for the defendant, Isabelle Zerad, did not respond to requests for comment.