France Mass Rape Trial: Gisele Pelicot’s Ex-Husband And 50 Others Found Guilty
Paris, France: Months after the shocking mass rape case came to light, the court found 51 men, including Dominique Pelicot, former husband of mass rape survivor Gisele Pelicot, guilty of drugging, raping, and sexually assaulting her. The court delivered its verdict on Thursday.
Dominique was also found guilty of inviting dozens of men to rape his former wife after she was drugged in their home. A panel of five judges sentenced him to 20 years in jail.
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The 72-year-old survivor emerged as a symbol of courage and resilience after she waived her right to anonymity because she wanted to make “shame swap sides” from the victim to the rapist.
Crowds of women and men, both young and old gathered outside the court with placards, chanting, “Merci” or ‘Thank you’ in French. In her first statement after the verdict, Gisele Pelicot said, “I never regretted this decision.”
The French court convicted all the other 50 defendants in the mass rape trial with no acquittals. While the prosecutors sought jail terms between four and 18 years for the other defendants, the sentences handed down were generally at least a couple of years lower than they asked for.
The defendants have ten days to appeal.
The 72-year-old Dominique Pelicot had pleaded guilty to all charges during the three-month trial by stating, “I am a rapist.” However, many of the 50 defendants denied raping her and claimed that they were led to believe that it was a consensual sex game orchestrated by the couple. They argued that it wasn’t rape if the husband approved.
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During the second month of the trial, Pelicot said, “I want to say to these men: at what point did Mrs Pelicot give you her consent when you entered the room? At what point do you become aware of this inert body? At what point do you not report it to the police?” she asked.
Gisele Pelicot emerged as a feminist icon after the mass rape case sent shockwaves across France. During the course of the trial, she waived her right to anonymity in the hopes that it would encourage more women to speak up. She graced the cover of VOGUE Germany on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, November 25.
“I’ve decided not to be ashamed; I’ve done nothing wrong. They are the ones who must be ashamed,” she testified in October.
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Gisele and Dominique were married for nearly 50 years. Her former husband routinely drugged her with a strong sedative mixed into her food and drink and invited strangers he met online to rape her unconscious body for over a decade. Gisele realised about the abuse merely four years ago when police came across videos and pictures her husband recorded of the abuse he arranged.
The case has sparked protests across the country as many expressed their solidarity to Gisele. The harrowing case had also ignited debates on whether the country’s rape law should be updated as at present, the law does not include the importance of consent during sex. It also brought light to instances of sexual abuse especially in domestic spheres and marital rape.
