A French court on Thursday sentenced Dominique Pelicot, the exhusband of Gisele Pelicot, to 20 years in prison for orchestrating and committing heinous acts of sexual violence against her over nearly a decade. The 72yearold was found guilty of drugging his wife, allowing strangers he recruited online to rape her, and recording the assaults. This historic case has shaken France and sparked widespread conversations about consent and sexual violence.
The court in Avignon, presided over by Judge Roger Arata, delivered the maximum sentence for aggravated rape. Fifty other men accused of participating in the crimes were also convicted, with sentences ranging from 10 to 18 years. Pelicot will not be eligible for parole until serving twothirds of his sentence, a decision welcomed by campaigners as a strong stance against rape culture.
Gisele Pelicot, now 72, waived her right to anonymity, attending the trial daily and refusing to be silenced. Her courage, both in exposing the abuse and in demanding the trial be open to the public, has turned her into a symbol of resilience. Speaking during the proceedings, she said, “I’ve done nothing wrong. They are the ones who must be ashamed.”
The abuse began during what Gisele believed to be a loving marriage. Dominique, her husband of 50 years, concealed tranquilisers in her food and drink to render her unconscious. He then invited men he met online to assault her, often in their retirement home in Mazan, Provence. Police uncovered more than 20,000 photos and videos documenting the crimes, leading to the identification of dozens of perpetrators.
What were the charges against Dominique Pelicot?
- Aggravated rape: Drugging and repeatedly raping his wife over several years.
- Facilitating rape: Inviting dozens of strangers to assault his unconscious wife.
- Recording abuse: Creating and cataloguing thousands of explicit images and videos.
- Aggravated sexual assault: Assisting another man in drugging and raping his wife.
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