Former French estate agent Dominique Pélicot has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for drugging his ex-wife Gisèle and forcing dozens of men to rape her over nearly a decade. The 72-year-old was found guilty by a jury in Avignon, France, of aggravated rape against his then-wife, who was also 72.
Gisèle Pélicot spoke out after the sentencing, thanking those who supported her during the trial of 51 men accused of participating in the abuse. She described the experience as “a very difficult ordeal” but said she found strength in the messages from those who publicly backed her.
Dominique had been drugging Gisèle and filming the rapes since 2011 to 2020, according to reports. He confessed to his crimes in court, saying he was a rapist like others in the room. Fifteen of the 50 other defendants admitted to rape, while most claimed they participated in sexual acts.
The abuse was discovered after police seized Dominique’s electronics and found thousands of photos and videos documenting the abuse. Gisèle had no idea about the rapes until then.
The couple’s children testified in court, describing their “devastation” upon learning about their father’s crimes. Gisèle herself said she would lose 10 years of her life and that the scar of the abuse would never heal.
Dominique was also found guilty of attempted aggravated rape of another woman and taking indecent images of his daughter and her daughters-in-law. The judge read out the sentence, and Dominique cried in court. Gisèle said she pursued the case thinking of her children and grandchildren “because they are the future,” hoping to inspire other victims to speak out against rape.
Source: https://people.com/gisele-pelicot-speaks-rapist-husband-cries-court-sentencing-8764397