Frenchman found guilty in horrific rape trial that shocked the world
A French man is accused of drugging his wife of 50 years and inviting strangers to rape her – while he filmed the attacks – was found guilty.
The verdict for 72-year-old Dominique Pelicot, Gisèle Pelicot’s ex-husband, was read by the head judge of the Avignon court, Roger Arata. He later sentenced Pelicot to a maximum sentence of 20 years.
Dominique Pelicot admitted that he used drugs to knock out his then-wife of 50 years for years so that he and strangers he recruited online could do so mistreat her while he filmed the attacks.
The horrific ordeal inflicted on Gisèle Pelicot, now a 72-year-old grandmother, in what she said was a loving marriage of nearly a decade, and her courage during the painful and shocking process, have transformed the retired power company worker into a feminist heroine Nation.
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A man holding a placard reading “Christmas in prison, Easter in jail” walks past media waiting outside the Avignon courthouse during the trial of Dominique Pelicot in Avignon, southern France, Thursday, December 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Lewis Joly)
The historic case, which spanned more than three months, deeply shocked the nation and mobilized activists against it sexual violence and spurs calls for tougher measures to eradicate rape culture.
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Dominique Pelicot and 49 other men were tried in the southern French city of Avignon on charges of aggravated rape and attempted rape and face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
Gisele Pelicot, who was allegedly drugged by her now-former husband so he and others could attack her, arrives at the courthouse in Avignon, southern France, Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Lewis Joly)
Prosecutors sought the maximum sentence for him and 10 to 18 years for the others. They also sought a four-year prison sentence for another defendant who was charged with aggravated sexual assault.
The 51 men were accused of taking part in Dominique Pelicot’s sordid rape and abuse fantasies, which were played out at the couple’s retirement home in the small Provence town of Mazan and elsewhere.
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Dominique Pelicot testified that he hid sedatives in the food and drinks he gave his then-wife, rendering her so unconscious that he could do whatever he wanted to her for hours.
Gisèle Pelicot’s courage, as a survivor of sexual abuse, to renounce her right to anonymity and to successfully advocate for the hearings and shocking evidence – including videos – to be heard publicly has raised eyebrows both at the national level in France and among families, Couples and other friend groups engaged in discussions about how to better protect women and the role men can play in achieving this goal.
Gisele Pelicot, who was allegedly drugged by her now-former husband so he and others could attack her, arrives at the courthouse in Avignon, southern France, Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Lewis Joly)
Police first became aware of Dominique Pelicot in September 2020 when a supermarket security guard caught him secretly filming women’s skirts.
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Police then found his library of homemade images documenting his wife’s years of abuse – a total of more than 20,000 photos and videos, stored on computer drives and cataloged in folders labeled “abuse,” “her rapists,” “night alone.” and other titles.
