the crowd shouts its anger at the verdict of the Mazan rape trial before the Avignon court

The sentences handed down by the Vaucluse criminal court caused a stir in front of the court where many people had gathered to support Gisèle Pelicot. One of them confided her “disgust” to our reporter on site.

For decades, Dominique Pelicot bombarded his wife Gisèle Pelicot with anxiolytics to make her his sexual object and deliver her to dozens of men recruited on the internet. He was sentenced Thursday, December 19 to 20 years of criminal imprisonment for “aggravated rape”, two thirds of which were secured, thus closing four months of the Mazan rape trial, which has become a symbol of violence against women. The other penalties are generally lower than the requisitions. When the verdict of the Mazan rape trial was announced, the crowd gathered in front of the Avignon court reacted strongly.

“Shame on Justice!”, “Accomplice Justice”, the crowd shouts its anger in front of the court gates. She faces a CRS cordon placed just behind these gates. Women express their incomprehension by shouting slogans aimed directly at justice. “I I’m disgusted. When will justice be done? Do you really expect women to take justice into their own hands?”says Blandine Deverlanges, founder of the L’Amazon Avignon collective, who came to support Gisèle Pelicot. Several defendants were convicted without a committal warrant.

“We have serial rapists, serial criminals, and there are some tonight who are going home peacefully, they will be able to spend Christmas with their family.”

Blandine Deverlanges, founder of the collective L’Amazon Avignon

at franceinfo

Although none of the 51 co-accused, men aged 27 to 74, was acquitted, the court in fact handed down sentences of three years, two of which were suspended, to 20 years’ imprisonment. “Four years in prison for a man who raped Gisèle Pelicot and who drives children with his school bus every day, I find that really ridiculousprotests Blandine Devrelanges. And what’s more, be careful! He will have an entry on his criminal record in the sex offender file.she quips. Do you realize?”

“I feel so well protected by justice, continues the feminist. I am disgusted, disgusted to see that a nurse who raped a sleeping woman gets eight years in prison. Jean-Pierre Maréchal, who raped Gisèle Pélicot, who organized Dominique Pelicot to come to his house so that his wife was raped, who was his apprentice in fact, gets 12 years in prison, even though the prosecution was already asking for none. only 17! I find it incredible. It’s scandalous”.