What's New
A verdict is expected to come down this week in a mass rape trial in France involving victim Gisèle Pelicot.
Why It Matters
Gisèle Pelicot's ex-husband, Dominique Pelicot, meticulously documented how, over the last decade of their 50-year marriage, he routinely drugged his wife, allowing himself and dozens of strangers he met online to assault her while she was unconscious.
Shockingly, Dominique Pelicot had little difficulty recruiting his alleged accomplices. Many were employed, most were fathers, and they represented a broad cross-section of society, ranging in age from their 20s to their 70s. In total, 50 men, including Dominique Pelicot, stood trial for aggravated rape and attempted rape, while another faced charges of aggravated sexual assault.
The three months of harrowing testimony has included excerpts from Dominique Pelicot's collection of homemade abuse videos.
The trial has stretched on for so long—examining the charges, evidence, backgrounds of the accused and their defenses—that both Dominique and Gisèle Pelicot marked their birthdays during the proceedings, each turning 72.
What To Know
Advocates against sexual violence are calling for significant prison sentences, viewing the trial as a potential turning point in addressing rape culture and the use of drugs to incapacitate victims.
Dominique Pelicot's documentation of the assaults—police uncovered more than 20,000 photos and videos on his computer, stored in folders labeled "abuse," "her rapists" and "night alone"—provided investigators with a wealth of evidence that ultimately led them to the defendants. This level of detail set the case apart from many others involving sexual violence, where incidents often go unreported or lack sufficient evidence for prosecution.
Gisèle Pelicot and her legal team successfully argued for the shocking videos and other evidence to be presented in open court, demonstrating that she bore no shame and was clearly unconscious during the alleged rapes. This undercut claims from some defendants who said she may have been feigning sleep or was a willing participant.
Dominique Pelicot admitted in testimony to lacing his wife's food and drinks with tranquilizers, rendering her unconscious for hours while he carried out the assaults. Police investigators discovered medical records showing Dominique Pelicot had been prescribed hundreds of tranquilizer tablets along with the erectile dysfunction drug Viagra. He admitted to police that he began drugging his wife in 2011, before the couple left the Paris region to retire in Mazan, a small town in Provence, where he invited other men to assault her in their bedroom.
In the videos, police identified 72 different abusers, though not all could be identified. Dominique Pelicot admitted to investigators that he not only shared advice on drugging techniques but also supplied tranquilizers to others.
While some of the accused, including Dominique Pelicot, admitted to rape, many others denied guilt despite the video evidence. The case has ignited a broader debate in France over whether the legal definition of rape should be updated to explicitly address consent.
What People Are Saying
"They regarded me like a rag doll, like a garbage bag," Gisèle Pelicot said during her testimony.
During the trial, protesters gathered with pop-art images of Gisèle Pelicot—her signature bob haircut and round sunglasses prominently featured—accompanied by slogans like "Shame is changing sides" and "Gisèle, we believe you!"
Demonstrators booed defendants as they entered the courthouse, shouting, "We recognize you" and "Shame."
What's Next
The verdicts are expected by Thursday or Friday at the latest, when a panel of five judges delivering their decision by secret ballot.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.
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