Ex-husband Dominic sentenced to 20 years in prison

Dominique Pelicot has been jailed for 20 years after drugging and raping his ex-wife Gisele for nearly a decade and inviting dozens of strangers to also abuse her.

A judge in Avignon in southern France found the 72-year-old man guilty of all charges and cried in court as he was sentenced to the maximum sentence.

He went on trial along with 50 other men, all of whom were found guilty of at least one count, although they received shorter sentences than prosecutors had sought.

Gisele and her children looked expressionless as the verdict was read, occasionally looking at the defendant and leaning their heads against the wall.

The convictions cap France’s largest-ever rape trial, which shocked the country and the world for three months.

After the verdict, she spoke outside the court, accompanied by her family, Gisèle Pelicot, 72, said the trial had been a “very difficult ordeal”.

But she said she “never regretted” the decision to make the trial public “so society can see what is happening”.

Gisele Pellicot’s decision to waive her automatic right to anonymity is highly unusual and means the trial is taking place in full view of the public. French and global media attention has been growing on the case, with hundreds of journalists attending court on Thursday.

Gisele herself attended the trial almost every day, appearing in the same courtroom as her husband of 50 years, from whom she is now divorced.

Gisele also expressed her “deep” gratitude to her supporters and said she “believes” there is a “better future” where men and women can live with mutual respect.

Dominic Pellicott was found guilty of aggravated rape in court on Thursday, having admitted his crime.

He was also found guilty of the attempted aggravated rape of the wife of one of his co-defendants, Jean-Pierre Marechal. Marechal, known as Dominic’s “disciple” because he drugged and raped his wife for years and invited Dominic to do the same, was jailed for 12 years.

Dominique Pellicot was also found guilty of taking indecent photos of his daughter Caroline Darien and daughter-in-law Aurore and Celine.

Caroline, who appeared in court on Thursday, previously told the court she felt she was a “forgotten victim” because, unlike her mother’s situation, there was no record of any abuse she was convinced she had suffered. Dominic denies drugging and abusing his daughter.

After the verdict, Dominic’s lawyer said her client was “somewhat bewildered” by his sentence and would consider whether to appeal. He has 10 days to decide whether to do so.

Of the 50 co-defendants, 46 were found guilty of rape, two of attempted rape and two of sexual assault. Some of them have been in jail for several years and will soon be released from prison because they were arrested in 2021 during preliminary police investigations.

Most of the men on trial deny that their acts were rape.

They argued that they did not realize Giselle Pellico was unconscious and therefore did not “know” they were raping her – an argument that sparked a national discussion about France’s legal definition of rape.

Their sentences ranged from three to 15 years, less than prosecutors sought.

In a statement to AFP, the Pelicot children said they were “disappointed” by the “low sentence”.

For nearly a decade starting in 2011, Dominique Pellicot drugged and raped his ex-wife Giselle Pellicot and recruited dozens of men online to rape her while she was unconscious. Have sex with her.

His crimes were discovered in 2020, when police arrested him on another count of photographing women up their skirts in a supermarket.

Police confiscated his devices and found thousands of videos on his laptop containing evidence of around 200 rapes.

Investigators used the videos to track down his co-defendants, but they were unable to identify 21 other men.

Dominique Pelicot pleaded guilty to the charges in 2020.

The trial has sparked discussion about whether the issue of consent should be added to the legal definition of rape in France, as has been done in other European countries.

France currently defines rape as “any sexual penetration committed against another person by force, force, threat or sudden attack,” meaning prosecutors must prove intent to rape.

Many of the defendants argued they were unaware Gisele Pellicot had not consented, claiming they were “tricked” by Dominique Pellicot into believing they were going to the couple’s home for a threesome, fantasizing about the incident. The woman will fall asleep.

The trial also sheds light on the issue of chemical submission – drug-induced sexual assault.

Most of the 50 men come from towns and villages within a 50-kilometer (30-mile) radius of Mazan, the Pellikot team’s hometown.

them Including firefighters, truck drivers, soldiers, journalists and DJswere described by defense attorneys as “ordinary people,” earning them the nickname “Mr. Ordinary.”

The trial also shined a spotlight on sexual violence against women in France, with many praising Gisele Pellicot for her courage in revealing the full details of the case to the public.

She has previously said she was determined to “shame-swap” victims for their rapists – a phrase that has been repeated and used by her supporters.

Gisele’s lawyer Stefan Barbonneau earlier told the BBC that his client did not want to be viewed as an icon.

But Gisele’s message to women is that “there is a power within them that they can’t even imagine, and they need to believe in themselves,” he added.

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