The man was found guilty of aggravated rape of his ex-wife Gisèle
December 19, 2024
The Avignon court declared Dominique Pelicot ex-husband of Gisele Pelicotwas sentenced to the maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for drugging and raping her, also allowing other men to commit violence against the woman while she was unconscious. The sentence against Dominique Pelicot, 72 years old, was issued by the court of Avignon after the man was found guilty of all charges against him. The violence lasted almost a decade. The chief judge of the court of Avignon, Roger Showspronounced the verdicts one after the other against Pelicot and 50 other defendants, declaring them guilty “of aggravated rape” towards Gisèle Pelicot. The woman sat on one side of the courtroom, facing the defendants, as Arata announced the guilty verdicts one after another.
Dominique Pelicot’s admissions
Dominique Pelicot, 72, admitted to having drugged his wife, to whom he had been married for 50 years, for years to abuse her. The violence, committed by the husband himself and by strangers recruited online, was also filmed.
The trial lasted more than three months
The trial lasted more than three months in addition to Pelicot, 49 other men were accusedhas mobilized activists and fueled calls for tougher measures against sexual violence. Prosecutors requested the maximum sentence for Pelicot and sentences of 10 to 18 years for the other defendants. Additionally, they sought a four-year sentence for another defendant accused of aggravated sexual assault. The rapes were committed in the couple’s home Mensmall town in Provence, and other places. Dominique Pelicot testified that he hid sedatives in food and in the drinks he offered his wife, rendering her unconscious to the point where she could do whatever she wanted for hours. One of the men was tried not for assaulting Gisèle Pelicot, but for drugging and raping his own wife, with the help and drugs provided by Dominique Pelicotwho was also accused of raping the latter’s wife. Court decisions, including sentences, were made by secret vote of the five judges. Campaigners against sexual violence are hoping for exemplary prison sentences and see the trial as a possible turning point in the fight against rape culture and the use of drugs to subdue victims.
The Thank you Gisèle banner
The courage of Gisèle Pelicot, who waived her right to anonymity as a survivor of sexual violence, and her determination to ensure that the hearings and shocking evidence – including videos – were examined in open court, fueled conversations both nationally and among families, couples and groups of friends on how to better protect women and the role men can play in goal-seeking. A large banner hung by activists on a city wall in front of the court read ‘Thank you Gisèle’.
Reporting in September 2020
Dominique Pelicot was initially reported to the police in September 2020, when a supermarket security guard caught him secretly filming women. Police later discovered his home archive documenting years of abuse inflicted on his wife: more than 20,000 photos and videos, all stored on hard drives and cataloged in folders. The abundance of evidence led the police to the other accused. In the videos, investigators counted 72 different attackers, but could not identify them all.
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