Pelicot sentenced for orchestrating decades of abuse
Dominique Pelicot encouraged strangers to rape his wife. Finally, a verdict has been reached in the case of the "monster from Avignon."
Gisèle Pelicot was a victim of her husband, Dominique Pelicot, for more than ten years. He not only drugged her with sedatives but also enabled dozens of men to rape her in their own home. More than fifty men were accused in the court proceedings in Avignon with the rape of Gisèle. Evidence included both witness testimony and recordings made by her husband.
Verdict in the case of rapes of Gisèle Pelicot
Dominique Pelicot was found guilty of all the charges against him, including the rape of his former wife, the court in Avignon ruled. The 71-year-old drugged his wife for almost a decade before raping her and organizing gang rapes involving several dozen other men.
The man was sentenced to 20 years in prison by the criminal court in Vaucluse in Avignon. This is the maximum sentence he could receive. It turns out that all other suspects were also found guilty.
The 72-year-old admitted to all charges against him. Judges also found him guilty of illegally distributing photos of his wife, and recording her and two other women. Police found a massive collection of photos and videos depicting the abuse of his wife, as well as photos of his naked daughter.
He made his wife's life a living hell
Dominique Pelicot admitted to the police that he first logged onto a dating site where he searched for men whom he then incited to rape his wife.
During the trial, macabre details were revealed about how Dominique, although outwardly a loving husband, secretly planned what would turn out to be a massive betrayal.
"I am a rapist, like everyone else accused in this courtroom," Pelicot admitted in court.
