Prosecutors in Gisèle Pelicot’s case want 20 years for the ex-husband who organized her gang rape
WARNING: This article may concern those who have experienced sexual violence or know someone who has.
French prosecutors have asked for a 20-year prison sentence for Dominique Pelicot, who planned the mass rape of his then-wife by drugging her and inviting a number of strangers to abuse her in the family home.
Pelicot, 71, pleaded guilty in a case that attracted international attention and became an investigation into the spread of sexual violence in France and beyond. Another 50 men also appeared in court for participating in sexual acts.
The prosecutors, who will say in the next two days what sentences they want for the accused, rejected the arguments put forward by many men that they did not realize they were raping Gisèle Pelicot or did not intend to do it.
Gisèle Pelicot appeared motionless as the accused assaulted her in thousands of videos and photos recorded by her then-husband and shown in court weeks ago.
“The suspects tried to escape the case by saying they thought Gisèle Pelicot had confessed,” public prosecutor Laure Chabaud told the court on Monday.
“But it is impossible, today, in 2024, to consider that,” said Chabaud, adding that the video and photos clearly show that Gisèle Pelicot was unconscious and could not give her consent.
As for Dominique Pelicot, who admitted to raping his wife and arranging her rape by other people, “the maximum sentence is 20 years, which is a lot … but at the same time … for acts committed and repeated,” said Chabaud.
Decisions are expected on Dec. 20
Prosecutors also said they wanted a 17-year sentence for Jean-Pierre Marechal, 63, who admitted that he worked with Dominique Pelicot to comfort his wife Cilia and that both men raped her, after the men met now-website closed.
Decisions and sentences are expected on December 20.
Gisèle Pelicot, 71, would have wanted the case to be kept behind closed doors, but instead asked for it to be made public, saying she hopes it will help other women speak up and show that victims are not ashamed.
The trial has sparked protests in support of Gisèle Pelicot, and fueled soul-searching, including debate over whether France’s rape law will be renewed.
Unlike in other European countries, French law is silent on the requirement that sex involve consent, and requires prosecutors to prove the perpetrator’s intent to rape using “violence, coercion, threats or surprise.”
Dominique Pelicot’s lawyer, Beatrice Zavarro, told the media that it is not surprising that the prosecutors wanted the longest sentence.
Lawyer Stéphane Babonneau says Gisèle Pelicot cannot forgive the ‘coward’ of 50 men accused of raping her while she was drugged unconscious by her husband. Any of them could have alerted the authorities anonymously, ‘so for him this is a case of cowardice,’ he said.
For anyone who has been sexually assaulted, there is support available through crisis lines and local support services through Completes the Violence Association of Canada database. .
For anyone affected by family or intimate partner violence, there is support available crisis lines and local support services. .
If you are in immediate danger or fear for your safety or that of others around you, please call 911.
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