Defense lawyers at the Mazan rape trial on Monday urged the criminal court to free itself from “yaka hawk” decisions when it delivers its verdict against the fifty men accused of raping Gisèle Pelicot.
“The judicial truth is always the result of a long process whose outcome is often painful. It is rarely what was hoped for,” warned Me Stéphane Simonin in the introduction to his defense of Vincent C., a 43-year-old employee, and Philippe L., a 62-year-old gardener.
These two men, against whom the public prosecutor requested respectively 15 and 10 years of imprisonment, “have the only thing in common to have fallen into the rut” wanted by Dominique Pelicot, 72 years old, who admitted to having drugged his now ex -marries Gisèle to rape her and have her raped in Mazan (Vaucluse) by dozens of strangers recruited on the internet.
Not aware that she was sedated
Vincent C., who came to Mazan twice, and Philippe L., once, repeated at the hearing that they were not aware that Gisèle Pelicot was sedated, rejecting the accusation of rape, due to lack of intention to commit a crime. crime.
“Should this conscience, which is staring them in the face now, have arisen at the time of the events? Did they have the capacity? If your answer is yes, you will find them guilty. But if you have any doubt, you will not not,” pleaded Me Simonin.
“Send him back to his mother”
And if they are guilty, “what do we do?”, he added. For Philippe L., “I beg you to send him back to his mother”, with whom the sixty-year-old still lives, added the lawyer, also asking the Vaucluse criminal court to move away from the 15 years of imprisonment requested in the “axe indictment” of the prosecution.
Taking over for Jean T., a 52-year-old roofer against whom 12 years were required, Me Carine Monzat asked the judges not to make a “‘yaka falcon’ decision”, at the end of this extraordinary trial become a symbol of violence against women.
When Jean T. enters Mazan’s room, it is first Dominique Pelicot who enters Gisèle Pelicot, lying “spooned”, notes the lawyer.
“Does he see a criminal raping a sedated woman or a man having sexual intercourse with his wife,” she continues, arguing that Jean T. had, like many others, been convinced by Dominique Pelicot that it was a scenario developed by a libertine couple.
This article was automatically published. Sources: ats / afp
