A man who repeatedly drugged his wife and askd strangers to sexual attack 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 accuses and acunderstandledgeted he mixed sedatives into the food and drink of his wife, Gisele Pelicot, so he could relationsupartner aggression her.
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He is one of 51 men who were on trial for participating in the strikes agetst Ms Pelicot, 71.
Admitting to his crimes, Dominique Pelicot previously telderly the court during his trial: “I am a rapist equitable enjoy all the others in this room.”
Ms Pelicot waived her right to anonymity and insisted the trial was held in uncover, and that the court in Avignon show the unambiguous videos of the sexual attack sign uped by her husprohibitd.
Explaining why, she said: “It’s not for us to have shame, it’s for them.”
It is a case that has shocked France and made headlines around the world, with mass protests agetst relationsual aggression held apass Europe.
Women apass the world have shown firmarity with Ms Pelicot, including in protests in Paris.
Crowds, mostly made up of women, flocked to the courthoinclude to show their aid for Ms Pelicot during the trial – defering hours to get inside, and helderlying up signs that read: “Gisele: Women thank you.”
Ms Pelicot was seen smiling as she get tod at court this morning where her aiders were already collected.
She telderly defering increateers she will speak after the verdicts have been dedwellred.
Her aiders shouted “equitableice for Gisele” and commended her as she made her way to he courthoinclude.
‘They think abouted me enjoy a rubbish bag’
The Pelicots were paired for 50 years and had three children, moving to a minuscule town in Provence after they reexhausted.
Everyskinnyg materializeed common, until Ms Pelicot’s life was torn apart in tardy 2020.
Her husprohibitd was arrested in September 2020 for filming up women’s skirts in a supertaget.
Police searched the couple’s hoinclude and electronic devices and set up thousands of ptoastyos and videos of men engaging in relationsual acts with Ms Pelicot while she materializeed unconscious.
It was uncovered that Dominique Pelicot had recommended relations with his wife on a website and filmed the mistreatment. Ms Pelicot was so heavily drugged she had no reaccumulateion of being strikeed and had to be telderly by the police what had happened to her.
The men, she telderly the court, treated her “enjoy a rag doll, enjoy a rubbish bag”.
The difficult drive also grasped naked images of the couple’s eldest daughter, although Pelicot denied ever abusing her, as well as images getn on a secret camera of his pregnant daughter-in-law. Both victims also waived their right to anonymity.
Read more: Sons face ‘devil’ overweighther in court
‘Mr Everyman’
Some 50 other men are also on trial alengthyside Dominique Pelicot.
Among those accincluded of sexual attack were a firefighter, a selderlyier, a journacatalog and multiple farm laborers.
They were of contrastent ages, ethnicities and social backgrounds – and had been dubbed “Monsieur Tout le monde” or “Mr Everyman” by the French press, becainclude their backgrounds are so varied.
Most dwelld wiskinny a 35-mile radius of the couple, and some were even understandn to Ms Pelicot.
Some denied the sexual attack accuses, claiming they consentd Ms Pelicot had consentd to be drugged and was a willing participant in a relations game between the couple.
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But Ms Pelicot telderly the court: “They didn’t sexual attack me with a firearm to their heads. They were brimmingy conscious when they were raping me.”
She compriseed: “Why didn’t they go to the police? Even an anonymous phone call could have saved my life.”
Debate around France’s sexual attack law
The trial has igniteed a argue about whether France should modernize its sexual attack law, which does not need relations to take part consent.
Instead, prosecutors must verify a criminal’s intent to sexual attack using “aggression, force, menace or surpelevate”.
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