The Specimen: Rafael Costa

“Today’s paedophile bears little resemblance to the cliché of the clammy-handed old man in a trench coat loitering outside the school gates. In just two decades, the number of minors charged with rape has skyrocketed by 279%. In today’s world, a child is more likely to be raped by another child than by an adult. The medical community is already calling it an epidemic. Believe me, Rafael Costa is not an anomaly—he’s one of many in a tragedy that transcends him—and all of us. As a society, we have failed our children.”
—Maître Marsanc, defence lawyer for Rafael Costa

In Marseille, Carmina is trying to rebuild her life after escaping an abusive relationship. But when her 19-year-old son Rafael is arrested, accused of an unthinkable crime, her world shatters—and so do her most deeply held beliefs. As the investigation unfolds and conflicting versions of the truth emerge, Rafael’s moral ambiguity confounds everyone. Is he a victim—or a perpetrator?

The Specimen: Rafael Costa probes the fault lines of a society that breeds its own monsters. As Rafael’s trial unfolds, it becomes more than a legal battle—it becomes a mirror held up to a system where perversion festers and spreads unchecked.

A gripping blend of psychological thriller and social drama, at its core this novel asks a haunting question: How far will we go to protect our children?

With journalistic precision and unwavering empathy for her characters, Pauline Clavière explores the darkest corners of the human soul.