Dominique Pelicot: 20 years required for rape in Mazan

PublishedNovember 25, 2024, 11:01 am

The public prosecutor on Monday requested the maximum sentence against Dominique Pelicot for his “despicable actions”, he who drugged, raped and had his wife raped by dozens of men recruited on the internet.

“20 years is both a lot, because it’s 20 years of a life, whatever its age, it’s not nothing. But it is both a lot and too little. Too little considering the seriousness of the acts which were committed and repeated,” insisted Laure Chabaud, second representative of the public prosecutor to speak Monday morning before the Vaucluse criminal court, in Avignon.

Coincidentally, this indictment, which could last three days, begins on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. “The challenge” of the Mazan rape trial “is to fundamentally change the relationships between men and women,” said the public prosecutor on Monday, beginning his indictment against Dominique Pelicot and the 50 men with whom he is accused of having raped his wife, sedated, for ten years.

Jean-François Mayet, the first of the two representatives of the prosecution to speak, praised the “courage” and “dignity” of Gisèle Pelicot, main victim of these approximately 200 repeated rapes, half of which attributed to her ex. -husband, giving him credit for having decided to lift the closed session of the hearings and allowing some of the approximately 20,000 photos and videos taken without his knowledge by Dominique Pelicot to be broadcast. “You were right ma’am: the past weeks have shown the importance of these broadcasts, so that the shame changes sides,” he said, taking up the argument put forward several times by Gisèle Pelicot.

One thing is certain: the sentences that the representatives of the public prosecutor will seek will be closely scrutinized, as this trial has had a global impact and as the main victim, Gisèle Pelicot, 71, has achieved the status of feminist icon after having refused to accept the trial takes place behind closed doors, “so that the shame changes sides”. “It’s a lot of emotion,” said Gisèle Pelicot as she entered the courtroom.

What penalties will the public prosecutor seek against the 50 co-defendants of Dominique Pelicot? Because even if most are prosecuted for the same facts, namely aggravated rape of Gisèle Pelicot, and therefore also risk 20 years in prison, the individualization of sentences is obligatory. For example, to distinguish repeat offenders – ten men came several times – from those who came only once to Mazan.

Could these men aged 26 to 74 legitimately believe that they were participating in the scenario of a libertine couple, where the wife pretended to sleep? Were they “manipulated” by Dominique Pelicot? Or was their discernment impaired at the time of the events, as the lawyers for 33 of them further suggested on Wednesday? Finally, will the prosecution have a heavier hand towards the 35 accused who, at the opening of the trial, still firmly denied having participated in a “rape”, despite the damning videos filmed by Dominique Pelicot?

According to the official schedule, the indictment is scheduled for three days. But according to information collected from the various parties by AFP, it could end late Wednesday morning. After the Pelicot case, the prosecution should advance crescendo with first the less serious cases, those of Joseph C., 69 years old, and Hugues M., 39 years old, respectively accused of sexual assault and attempted rape, before to tackle the 48 others (including one on the run).

Victim or witness to sexual assault?