Dominique Pelicot accepts 20‑year sentence, no appeal planned
Dominique Pelicot, sentenced to 20 years in prison for rape and drugging his wife, will not appeal the verdict.
"Dominique Pelicot has decided not to file an appeal against the verdict issued on December 19 by the criminal court in Vaucluse," conveyed Beatrice Zavarro, the convicted man's lawyer, as reported by AFP.
Monday was the last possible day for the defense to file an appeal.
The trial that shocked France
The court in Avignon sentenced the 72-year-old Pelicot for repeatedly drugging and raping his wife and offering her for intercourse with other men. Fifty co-defendants were also convicted. Some of them have filed appeals, which means a retrial will occur.
Gisele Pelicot demanded open hearings to break the silence and shame that many victims of sexual violence experience. After the verdict, French President Emmanuel Macron thanked her for her bravery.
The couple's children publicly disowned their father. The prosecution still has a few days to decide on a potential appeal.
