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 his wife, 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 has shocked France and made headlines around the world.
Ms Pelicot, who arrived at the court in Avignon smiling as she was welcomed by her supporters today, looked at each defendant directly as they were found guilty.
She had earlier told reporters she would speak after the verdicts had been delivered.
Her supporters had shouted “justice for Gisele” and applauded her as she made her way to he courthouse.
Admitting to his crimes, Dominique Pelicot previously told the court during his trial: “I am a rapist just like all the others in this room.”
Ms Pelicot waived her right to anonymity and insisted the trial was held in public, and that the court show the explicit videos of the rape recorded by her husband.
Explaining why, she said: “It’s not for us to have shame, it’s for them.”
The high profile case has led women across the world to show solidarity with Ms Pelicot – with protests against sexual violence taking place in Paris and across Europe.
Meanwhile, crowds, mostly made up of women, flocked to the courthouse to show their support for Ms Pelicot during the trial – waiting hours to get inside, and holding up signs that read: “Gisele: Women thank you.”
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‘They regarded me like a rubbish bag’
The Pelicots were married for 50 years and had three children, moving to a small town in Provence after they retired.
Everything appeared normal, until Ms Pelicot’s life was torn apart in late 2020.
Her husband was arrested in September 2020 for filming up women’s skirts in a supermarket.
Police searched the couple’s house and electronic devices and found thousands of photos and videos of men engaging in sexual acts with Ms Pelicot while she appeared unconscious.
It was discovered that Dominique Pelicot had offered sex with his wife on a website and filmed the abuse. Ms Pelicot was so heavily drugged she had no recollection of being attacked and had to be told by the police what had happened to her.
The men, she told the court, treated her “like a rag doll, like a rubbish bag”.
The hard drive also contained naked images of the couple’s eldest daughter, although Pelicot denied ever abusing her, as well as images taken on a hidden camera of his pregnant daughter-in-law. Both victims also waived their right to anonymity.
Read more: Sons face ‘devil’ father in court
‘Mr Everyman’
Some 50 other men are also on trial alongside Dominique Pelicot.
Among those accused of rape were a firefighter, a soldier, a journalist and multiple farm workers.
They were of different ages, ethnicities and social backgrounds – and had been dubbed “Monsieur Tout le monde” or “Mr Everyman” by the French press, because their backgrounds are so varied.
Most lived within a 35-mile radius of the couple, and some were even known to Ms Pelicot.
Some denied the rape charges, claiming they believed Ms Pelicot had agreed to be drugged and was a willing participant in a sex game between the couple.
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But Ms Pelicot told the court: “They didn’t rape me with a gun to their heads. They were fully conscious when they were raping me.”
She added: “Why didn’t they go to the police? Even an anonymous phone call could have saved my life.”
Debate around France’s rape law
The trial has sparked a debate about whether France should update its rape law, which does not require sex to involve consent.
Instead, prosecutors must prove a perpetrator’s intent to rape using “violence, coercion, threat or surprise”.
