Co-accused admits never having “had the consent” of Gisèle Pelicot

Admitting that he never “had the consent” of Gisèle Pelicot, one of the 51 co-accused tried in Avignon. (F) pleaded guilty on Thursday, September 19, to the rape of this woman drugged by her husband, apologizing to the victim for having been part of this “nightmare.”

Before the Vaucluse criminal court, Lionel R., 44, one of the many men recruited over ten years on the internet by Dominique Pelicot to rape his wife who was drugged with anxiolytics, immediately confirmed that he admitted to the rape committed on December 2, 2018 against Ms. Pelicot.

“I never had the intention (to commit rape), but having never had Mrs. Pelicot’s consent, I can only state the facts,” declared in a clear voice this man with short hair, dressed in a black shirt and pants.

In the middle of his hearing, which lasted all morning, this supermarket salesman, father of three children and married at the time of the events, turned to Gisèle Pelicot to apologize: “I am taking advantage of this opportunity. It is normal that you cannot hear them and I know that it is too late. I never wanted to hurt you and I did. I ask your forgiveness.”

“It’s horrible to think that I’m part of this nightmare. This apology won’t change anything, but I wanted to tell you anyway,” he continued.

Present on the civil parties’ bench alongside her daughter Caroline, Gisèle Pelicot, 71, listened to him while remaining impassive.

The day before, the woman who became an icon after her decision to accept a public trial so that “shame changes sides” in matters of sexual violence, had for the first time expressed her anger at the insinuations of certain defense lawyers about her alleged consent.

“There is no such thing as ‘rape and rape’. Rape is rape,” Ms Pelicot had asserted, saying she was “humiliated” by the lawyers of some of the co-accused, who maintain that their clients did not know that she was not consenting and thought they were participating in the game of a libertine couple.

Early in the afternoon, another man recruited by Dominique Pelicot, Jacques C., 72, actually denied the accusations of rape, only admitting to touching.

The former firefighter and now retired pizzeria owner asked Gisèle Pelicot for “forgiveness.” “I have a lot of respect for women, hence the great regrets I have,” he added. Apologies that “seem to lack depth” and are “difficult to hear,” replied one of the lawyers for the civil parties, Stéphane Babonneau.

The testimony of Lionel R., who faces 20 years in prison like all the accused, on the lack of consent, has undermined the theory put forward by some defense lawyers.

“It’s about medication. One time she takes it, one time he (her husband, editor’s note) gives it to her. It’s not very very clear, but I’m convinced that it’s a game, I don’t ask myself the question too much. I never thought that she might not be in the game, that was my first big mistake,” he explained.

Arriving at the couple’s home, he is shown into their bedroom where Mrs. Pelicot is lying, unconscious, and performs penetration.

“I do what he tells me to do, he becomes very directive. I don’t make excuses. I really lost my footing. At one point, she’s going to move a lot and he tells me to get out and I realize there’s a problem.”

“He repents, but it’s perhaps a little late,” commented Dominique Pelicot, invited to speak after Lionel R., who denied having behaved in a directive manner during this meeting and repeated that he was not forcing anyone to come.

While public statements by men are relatively rare in support of the fight against violence against women, embodied since the start of the trial by Gisèle Pelicot, the singer Renaud published a story on his Instagram account on Thursday to “bring [son] full support as well as [son] admiration for Gisèle Pelicot whose life [le] “upsets”.

“I hope with all my heart that the courage to have requested public hearings will finally make this patriarchal society, and us guys, move with regard to violence against women and children,” the singer continued.