A man who repeatedly drugged his then wife and invited strangers to rape her while she was unconscious has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after a historic mass trial.
Dominique Pelicot, 72, had confessed to all the charges and admitted he mixed sedatives into the food and drink of Gisele Pelicot so he could sexually assault her.
Warning: This story contains details that readers may find distressing
He is one of 51 men who were on trial for participating in the attacks against Ms Pelicot, 71.
All of the men were found guilty of at least one offence, with nearly all convicted of rape, after a trial which shocked France and made headlines around the world.
The defendants have been sentenced to a total of more than 400 years.
Ms Pelicot waived her right to anonymity during the trial as she insisted it was for perpetrators to feel “shame” and not victims.
The move led women in France and other countries to join demonstrations in solidarity with her and other survivors of sexual abuse.
Speaking outside the court in Avignon after the sentences were handed down, Ms Pelicot said she had “wanted to put this struggle forward” for her children and grandchildren.
The mother-of-three had insisted the trial was held in public and the court show the explicit videos of the rapes recorded by her then husband because she wanted people to “see the truth”.
She said outside court today that she “never regretted” opening the doors of the trial so “society could see what was happening”.
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Frenchwoman Gisele Pelicot, the victim of an alleged mass rape orchestrated by her then-husband Dominique Pelicot at their home in the southern French town of Mazan, arrives with her lawyers to attend the verdict in the trial for Dominique Pelicot and 50 co-accused, at the courthouse in Avignon, France, December 19, 2024. REUTERS/Alexandre Dimou
Ms Pelicot, who said she felt “very emotional” after today’s hearing, added: “I have faith in our capacity to collectively take hold of a future in which everybody – women, men – can live together in harmony, respect and mutual understanding.”
Asked by a reporter what her thoughts were on today’s sentencings, she said: “I respect the courts and I respect the decisions.”
Ms Pelicot was cheered as she walked away from the court through crowds of press photographers and supporters after speaking to the media.
‘My client is struck by the sentencing’
Dominique Pelicot’s lawyer earlier said outside court that there are 11 remaining unidentified suspects from the abuse videos.
The jail term handed down to Dominique Pelicot is the maximum available for aggravated rape in France.
Ms Pelicot arrived at the court smiling today, welcomed by supporters who applauded and shouted “justice for Gisele”.
She looked at each defendant directly as they were found guilty.
Frenchwoman Gisele Pelicot, the victim of an alleged mass rape orchestrated by her then-husband Dominique Pelicot at their home in the southern French town of Mazan, arrives with her lawyers Stephane Babonneau and Antoine Camus to attend the verdict in the trial for Dominique Pelicot and 50 co-accused, at the courthouse in Avignon, France, December 19, 2024. REUTERS/Alexandre Dimou
During the trial, Dominique Pelicot told the court: “I am a rapist just like all the others in this room.”
Following his sentencing, the other 50 defendants were handed jail terms ranging between three and 15 years.
Among them were Joan K, a 27-year-old soldier who was handed a 10-year sentence for raping Ms Pelicot twice in 2019 and 2020, and Ahmed T, a 54-year-old plumber who has been jailed for eight years for raping her once in 2019.
All of the 50 defendants can only be identified by their first name and the initial of their surname for French legal reasons.
Saifeddine G, a 37-year-old lorry driver who raped Ms Pelicot once at her home in 2019, was sentenced to three years in prison.
Jacques C, a 73-year-old retired firefighter, was jailed for five years for raping the victim once at her home in 2020.
The Pelicots’ three adult children, Caroline, David and Florian, were seen arriving at court for the verdicts this morning.
Ms Pelicot sat next to her youngest son Florian during the sentencings, with David giving a thumbs-up outside the court after the hearing.
During the trial Caroline had shouted at her father: “You will die alone like a dog in jail.”
