French justice on Thursday sentenced Dominique Pelicot to the maximum sentence in the extraordinary trial of serial rapes in France, but handed down lower sentences than those requested by the prosecution for his 50 co-defendants, a decision that Gisèle Pelicot affirmed ” respect”.
• Also read: Mazan rape trial: Gisèle Pelicot “respects” the court’s decision
In a brief intervention after the verdict, the ex-wife of Dominique Pelicot, 72, who has become a true feminist icon since her decision to refuse the closed session at the opening of this historic trial, on September 2, in Avignon (south -east of France), also said he was thinking of “the unrecognized victims” of sexual violence.
She also assured that she had “confidence now” in “a future in which everyone, woman and man, can live in harmony”.
Unsurprisingly, her now ex-husband, Dominique Pelicot, also 72 years old, was sentenced to the maximum possible sentence for aggravated rape, i.e. 20 years of criminal imprisonment, as requested by the prosecution in its indictment at the end of November.
He was on trial for having doused Gisèle Pelicot with anxiolytics for a decade, making her his sexual object and delivering her to dozens of men recruited on the internet.
The “disappointed” children
His 50 co-defendants, men aged 27 to 74, were all also declared guilty, with President Roger Arata listing the sentences imposed one by one, without any comment or motivation, during a final day of hearing which lasted barely more than an hour, abruptly concluding nearly four months of debate.
AFP
The lowest sentence, three years in prison, two of which were suspended, was given to Joseph C., 69, accused of “touching” Gisèle Pelicot. The heaviest, 15 years of criminal imprisonment, targeted Romain V., 63, who came to Mazan six times to rape Ms. Pelicot. In its indictment at the end of November, the prosecution requested 18 years of imprisonment against him.
The public prosecutor had requested sentences of 10 to 18 years’ imprisonment against the 49 co-defendants tried for aggravated rape or attempted rape. In total the prosecution had requested 652 years in prison for the 51 defendants, who were ultimately sentenced to 428 years behind bars.
A verdict deemed too lenient by the children of the Pelicot couple, David, Caroline and Florian, “disappointed” with these “low” sentences pronounced by the five professional magistrates of the criminal court of Vaucluse (south-east), declared to the AFP a family member, who requested anonymity.
AFP
If the Women’s Foundation considered that by recognizing all the accused guilty, “justice has vindicated Gisèle Pelicot” and that therefore “shame can change sides”, it said it “shares the incomprehension and disappointment in the face of “to some of the sentences handed down, despite the witnesses and the evidence”, these thousands of photos and videos of the rapes inflicted on his wife that Dominique Pelicot had meticulously stored and captioned.
“The fight against impunity is far from over,” the foundation commented in a press release.
“The message sent is ‘rape, it’s not that serious, it’s a sub-crime’,” was also indignant Céline Piques, spokesperson for the Dare to Feminism association.
AFP
In the crowd gathered in front of the court, anger was also strong. “Patriarchy justice”, “let’s stop asking for justice, let’s do justice”, some women shouted. A sign of the extreme tension reigning outside the court, one of the six accused who walked away free was jostled as he walked away in the company of his lawyer.
Dominique Pelicot “dazed”
According to her lawyer, Me Béatrice Zavarro, Dominique Pelicot was “somewhat dazed” by the two-thirds security period pronounced against her, not excluding an appeal in order to be retried, this time before “a jury popular”, as is the rule after a first instance before a criminal court, composed of professional magistrates.
At the end of Thursday morning, the number of defendants who will appeal was not yet known, they having ten days to make this decision. It was also unclear whether the prosecution would appeal.
AFP
This decision, in an Avignon courthouse under heavy police protection, was closely scrutinized, in France and abroad, as this trial has caused a shock wave since its opening, becoming emblematic of the questions surrounding violence. sexist and sexual, chemical submission and consent and more broadly male-female relationships.
In her indictment, Laure Chabaud, one of the two representatives of the public prosecutor’s office, hoped that the court’s decision would overcome the fate of these defendants and send “a message of hope to victims of sexual violence.”
Conversely, the defense lawyers made around thirty requests for acquittal for their clients who, according to them, were “manipulated” by the “monster”, the “wolf” or even the “ogre” Dominique Pelicot. So without success.
The tension was palpable in the courtroom, where a large police force had been deployed. Found guilty, several of the 32 accused who appeared free should in fact sleep Thursday evening behind bars.
AFP
Unusual in terms of its duration, the number of accused, but above all the atrocity of the alleged acts, this trial has already made history.
Closing this last chapter, Gisèle Pelicot left the courthouse under the “bravo” and “thank you”, echoing a huge banner “Thank you, Gisèle” hung on the ramparts of the old town of Avignon, opposite the court. .
All guilty
The 51 defendants in the Mazan trial were all found guilty on Thursday of the rape, attempted rape or sexual assault of Gisèle Pelicot with which they were accused, and received sentences ranging from three years in prison, two of which were suspended to 20 years. of criminal imprisonment.
The sentences handed down by the Vaucluse criminal court are lower, sometimes half, than those required by the attorney general. Six accused walked away free.
Here are the 51 accused and their sentences
– Dominique Pelicot (inmate), 72 years old, retired, was sentenced to 20 years of criminal imprisonment, with a two-thirds security period, for aggravated rape of his wife and that of Jean-Pierre M. She is the only sentence in accordance with the requisitions.
– Jean-Pierre M. (inmate), 63 years old, retired, sentenced to 12 years of criminal imprisonment (17 years required) for aggravated rape of his wife.
– Joseph C., 69 years old, retired, for sexual assault (once): three years in prison, two of which are suspended (four years required)
– Didier S., 68 years old, retired (came once): five years, two of which are suspended (10 years required)
– Patrick A., 60 years old, profession not specified (came once): 6 years (10 years required)
– Jacques C., 73 years old, retired (came once): 5 years, three of which are suspended (10 years required)
– Hugues M., 39 years old, former tiler, for attempted aggravated rape (occurred once): 5 years, two of which are suspended (10 years required)
– Andy R., 37 years old, unemployed (came once): 6 years (11 years required)
– Jean-Marc L., 74 years old, retired (came once): 6 years (10 years required)
– Saifeddine G., 37 years old, driver, for attempted aggravated rape (happening once): three years, two of which were suspended (10 years required)
– Simone M., 43 years old, employed in construction (came once): 9 years (10 years required)
– Philippe L., 62 years old, gardener (came once): 5 years, two of which are suspended (10 years required)
– Paul G., 31 years old, worker (came once): 8 years (10 years required)
– Ludovick B., 39 years old, warehouse worker (came once): 7 years (10 years required)
– Mathieu D., 53 years old, ex-baker (came once): 7 years (10 years required)
– Quentin H., 34 years old, prison guard (came once): 7 years (11 years required)
– Patrice N., 55 years old, electrician (came once): 8 years (12 years required)
– Husamettin D., 43 years old, construction worker (came once): 9 years (12 years required)
– Cyrille D., 54 years old, employed in construction (came once): 8 years (12 years required)
– Nizar H. (inmate), 41 years old, unemployed (came once): 10 years (13 years required)
– Redouan E., 55 years old, liberal nurse (came once): 8 years (12 years required)
– Boris M., 37 years old, operations agent in a transport company (came once): 8 years (12 years required)
– Cyril B., 47 years old, truck driver (came once): 9 years (12 years required)
– Thierry Pa., 54 years old, ex-mason (came once): 8 years (12 years required)
– Omar D., 36 years old, maintenance agent (came once): 8 years (12 years required)
– Jean T., 52 years old, roofer (came once): 8 years (12 years required)
– Mahdi D., 36 years old, employee in a transport company (came once): 8 years (12 years required)
– Ahmed T., 54 years old, plumber (came once): 8 years (12 years required)
– Redouane A. (inmate), 40 years old, who made a living from odd jobs (came twice): 9 years (12 years required)
– Lionel R., 44 years old, employee in the cultural space of a supermarket (came once): 8 years (12 years required)
– Florian R., 32 years old, delivery driver (came once): 7 years (13 years required)
– Grégory S., 31 years old, construction worker (came once): 8 years (13 years required)
– Abdelali D., 47 years old, cook (came twice): 8 years (13 years required)
– Adrien L. (inmate), 34 years old, site manager (came once): 6 years (13 years required)
– Cyprien C., 44 years old, no profession (came once): 6 years (13 years required)
– Karim S., 40 years old, computer scientist in a bank, for aggravated rape (happening once) and possession of child pornography images: 10 years (14 years required)
– Jean-Luc L. (inmate), 46 years old, worker (came twice): 10 years (14 years required)
– Christian L. (detainee), 56 years old, firefighter, for aggravated rape (once) and possession of child pornography images: 9 years, acquitted of possession of child pornography images (14 years required)
– Thierry Po. (detainee), 61 years old, refrigeration craftsman, for aggravated rape (once) and possession of child pornography images: 12 years with treatment order (14 years required)
– Nicolas F., 43 years old, independent journalist, for gang rape of Gisèle Pelicot (who came once) and possession of child pornography images: 8 years (14 years required)
– Cendric V. (inmate), 44 years old, manager in a restaurant (came twice): 9 years (14 years required)
– Joan K. (inmate), 27 years old, soldier (came twice): 10 years (15 years required)
– Vincent C. (inmate), 43 years old, employee (came twice): 10 years (15 years required)
– Fabien S. (inmate), 39 years old, employed on integration projects (came once): 11 years (16 years required)
– Hassan O., 30 years old, under arrest warrant and tried in absentia for aggravated gang rape of Gisèle Pelicot (came once): 12 years (15 years required)
– Charly A. (inmate), 30 years old, temporary worker (came six times): 13 years (16 years required)
– Cédric G. (detainee), 51 years old, computer technician, for gang rape (once) and possession of child pornography images: 12 years and permanent ban on any activity in contact with minors (16 years required)
– Jérôme V. (inmate), 46 years old, employee in a food store (came six times): 13 years (16 years required)
– Dominique D. (inmate), 45 years old, truck driver (came six times): 13 years (17 years required)
– Mohamed R. (inmate), 70 years old, retired (came once): 8 years (17 years required)
– Romain V. (inmate), 63 years old, retired (came six times): 15 years (18 years required)
