In a case that has shocked France, Dominique Pelicot has admitted to drugging his wife and orchestrating her repeated sexual abuse by dozens of men over nearly a decade, reported Reuters. Appearing in a French court in Avignon on September 17, Pelicot expressed remorse and begged for forgiveness, confessing, “I am a rapist.” The trial, one of France’s most high-profile criminal cases, was delayed due to Pelicot’s poor health, but resumed with him making a full admission of his crimes.
Pelicot faces multiple charges, including rape, gang rape, and privacy violations for recording and disseminating sexual images without consent. His crimes, spanning nearly 10 years, involved recruiting men online to rape his drugged wife, Gisele Pelicot. He claimed that childhood trauma and a desire for his wife to participate in partner swapping had fueled his abusive behavior. “It became a perversion, an addiction,” Pelicot said in court.
Gisele has publicly condemned her husband and demanded a public trial to expose both him and the other men involved. “For 50 years, I lived with a man who I would never have imagined was capable of these acts of rape,” she told the court. She initiated divorce proceedings after the investigation revealed the full extent of the abuse.
Pelicot described how he recruited the men on a now-defunct website, advertising that he was seeking participants to abuse his drugged wife. Over 72 men were involved, 50 of whom are also standing trial. Investigators uncovered 300 photographs and videos documenting the abuse, many of which were labelled in folders marked “Abuse.”
The trial has sparked outrage across the country, with public support for Gisele growing. During breaks in court, she was met with applause from spectators. Pelicot’s lawyer noted that his client was on heavy medication and had breaks to lie down due to his poor health.
Prosecutors revealed that Pelicot was first arrested after filming up a woman’s skirt in a supermarket, which led to the discovery of his larger crimes. The trial is set to continue through December, with Pelicot and the other defendants facing up to 20 years in prison if convicted. The case has underscored the deep societal issue of sexual violence and exploitation, leaving France in a state of disbelief and anger.
(With inputs from Reuters)