Will the Mazan rape trial resume on Monday in the presence of Dominique Pelicot? Absent due to illness last week, the main accused has still not spoken in detail about this case which has sparked major demonstrations in France in support of victims of sexual violence.
“There is great uncertainty as to whether Dominique Pelicot will be able to appear at the hearing. An extension of the suspension cannot therefore be ruled out,” said one of the lawyers for the civil parties, Antoine Camus, on Sunday evening.
For her part, Me Beatrice Zavarro, lawyer of this septuagenarian accused of having drugged his wife Gisèle with anxiolytics to rape her and have her raped by dozens of men recruited on the internet for ten years, indicated on Sunday that she had “no news” but regretted “that he had not been taken medically since last Wednesday”.
That day, he appeared briefly in court, visibly very weak, but was unable to appear the rest of the time for medical reasons.
Following an expert assessment, the president of the Vaucluse criminal court, Roger Arata, ordered the suspension of the trial on Friday on Thursday, while casting doubt on its continuation for its resumption on Monday.
“Either Pelicot is there and we continue. If he is not there for one, two or three days, we will extend the suspension,” he had initially said before adding: “But if he is permanently unavailable, the case will be postponed.”
A referral of this case, which is closely followed in France and abroad, would cause many complications: “Everything has to be re-established, a schedule, the availability of the room, the court, etc. And what about those who are in detention? (This is the case for 18 of the 51 co-accused, Editor’s note) Because at that point, I can assume that there will be requests for release,” assured Béatrice Zavarro, after the announcement by the president of the court.
Scheduled to last four months, this exceptional trial, in which men aged 26 to 74, most of them accused of aggravated rape, are appearing, had already been delayed during the first two weeks of hearings.
Although the daughter and two stepdaughters of the main accused, also victims – their father and stepfather had notably photographed them naked without their knowledge – have already been heard, his two sons were unable to speak.
Likewise, Gisèle Pelicot, now the accused’s ex-wife, must continue her testimony.
If the proceedings resume on Monday in the presence of the main accused, the president of the court indicated that the children of the couple will be heard first, then Gisèle Pelicot again. It would then be the turn of Pierre P., the son-in-law of the couple, and finally of Joël Pelicot, the brother of the accused.
Which could bring the first speech by Dominique Pelicot himself to Tuesday.
So far, he has only said laconically that he acknowledged the facts at the opening of the trial.
In the following days, the court could continue to examine the facts concerning a first group of four co-accused, Jean-Pierre M., 63 years old, Jacques C., 72 years old, Lionel R., 44 years old, and Cyrille D., 54 years old.
– “All Gisèle” –
The facts against Mr. Pelicot came to light after he was arrested filming up the skirts of three women in a shopping center in Carpentras (Vaucluse).
By searching his computer, investigators discovered a decade of rapes committed against his wife Gisèle at the marital home in Mazan (Vaucluse), sexual assaults photographed, filmed, meticulously captioned and archived by the accused.
Covered by media around the world, having become the symbol of the issue of attacks committed on people who are victims of chemical submission, this trial is also taken as an example by feminist movements to relaunch the debate on the issue of consent.
And Ms Pelicot, who herself refused to have this case judged behind closed doors, has become a figure in the fight against sexual violence.
His stylised face was held up all day Saturday by 10,000 people who gathered across France to show their support.
“We are all Gisèle”, “Rapist we see you, victim we believe you”, “You are not alone”, for example chanted the 3,500 people gathered in Paris.
dac-siu-sia/iw/as/tmt
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