Dominique Pelicot, who has been ill and excused from hearings for four days, will he return on Monday? His prolonged absence, mentioned on Thursday by the president of the criminal court of Vaucluse, threatens the continuation of the debates.
The 71-year-old pensioner was examined by a doctor who confirmed the need for a two-day exemption, appropriate treatment, and suggested a possible hospitalization, with a possible discharge date of Monday, according to the presiding judge, Roger Arata, at the opening of the hearing.
“What if Mr. Pelicot is not here on Monday?”requested his lawyer, Béatrice Zavarro, who is pleading like the civil parties, for the suspension of the proceedings if he remains absent. “So, it’s a disaster (…), we would be forced to postpone for another week”replied President Arata, before qualifying: “If he can’t be there until Monday, we can postpone it to Tuesday, the week is flexible. Afterwards, if it was a longer unavailability, we will discuss it again.”.
If Dominique Pelicot, who is said to be suffering from an infection, is indeed “outgoing” Monday, the week would then be “priority” devoted to his hearing, as well as following the hearing of his ex-wife and main victim, Gisèle Pelicot, the magistrate then explained. Then, it would be the turn of the “civil parties left in suspense”including the couple’s two sons, David and Florian, the son-in-law, Pierre P., and the accused’s brother, Joël Pelicot.
Monday, and after?
In the following days, the court should finish examining the first group of four co-accused, Jean-Pierre M., 63, Jacques C., 72, Lionel R., 44, and Cyrille D., 54. As for the «groupe 2» of seven other co-accused which was scheduled to start on Monday, i.e. week 38, will be postponed to week 46, starting on Tuesday, November 12, Mr. Arata has already warned.
Pending Dominique Pelicot’s recovery, the president of the court promised to remain in permanent contact with the prison administration, in order to inform the parties to the trial from the weekend.
On Thursday morning, the proceedings resumed in Avignon, in the absence of Dominique Pelicot, but also of his family, his ex-wife, always present since the beginning of this extraordinary trial on September 2, and his three children. The civil parties were represented only by their lawyers on Thursday morning.
And it was Annabelle Montagne, a psychological expert, who spoke about the first four accused examined this week. After her hearing, then the end of that of Stéphan Gal, the second director of investigation of this case, scheduled for Thursday afternoon, the president Mr. Arata should normally announce a postponement of the trial until Monday, pending a possible return of the main accused, as he had suggested on Wednesday.
Related News :