Following a landmark trial, Dominique Pelicot, a man who frequently drugged his wife and invited strangers to rape her, was given a 20-year prison sentence.
The 72-year-old acknowledged that he had added sedatives to his wife Gisele’s food and beverages and had confessed to all of the allegations.
51 persons, including him, were put on trial for their roles in the assaults on his wife.
Nearly all 51 defendants were found guilty of rape, and all were found guilty of at least one other offense.
“Like everyone else in this room, I am a rapist,” Dominique Pelicot earlier told the court during his trial.
Gisele, his 71-year-old ex-wife, insisted that the trial be held in public and gave up her right to anonymity.
The filthy videos of her husband’s rape were also revealed to the court.
Gisele explained her choice by saying, “It’s for them, not for us to feel ashamed.”
Globally, women have expressed support for Gisele as widespread demonstrations against sexual assault have taken place throughout Europe.
In support of Gisele, women gathered at the Avignon courthouse and held up placards that said, “Gisele: Women thank you.”
Gisele is scheduled to give a statement following the verdicts, and she arrived at court this morning grinning.
After 50 years of marriage, the pelicots had three kids.
Before Dominique was jailed in 2020 for recording women’s skirts in a store, they led a fairly typical life.
Police discovered thousands of images and videos of men having sex with Gisele while she was asleep after searching the couple’s home and technological gadgets.
Gisele told the police what had occurred to her since she was so high that she didn’t remember being attacked.
The males had treated her like “a rag doll, like a rubbish bag,” she told the court.
Even while Dominique denied ever mistreating their oldest daughter, the hard drive also included pictures of her in her undies.
France is debating whether to amend its rape statute, which does not currently require sex to entail consent, in light of the trial.
Prosecutors must instead demonstrate that a criminal intended to rape by employing “violence, coercion, threat or surprise.
