AVIGNON, France — A woman who was allegedly drugged by her now ex-husband so that she could be raped by other men while she was unconscious is expected to testify Thursday before a panel of French judges on her yearslong ordeal.
Her former spouse, Dominique Pélicot, now 71, and 50 other men are standing trial on charges of rape and face up to 20 years in prison. The trial started on Monday in the southern city of Avignon and is expected to run until December.
Gisèle Pélicot and her husband of 50 years were living in their family home in a small town in Provence with their three children. But in late 2020, her world collapsed.
A security agent caught her husband taking photos of women’s crotches in a supermarket, leading investigators to search Dominique Pélicot’s phone and computer, where they found thousands of photographs and videos of men appearing to rape his then-wife, Gisèle, in their home while she appears to be unconscious.
The Associated Press doesn’t generally identify victims of sexual abuse unless they consent. Gisèle Pélicot’s lawyer, Stéphane Babonneau, said she accepted that her name be published in the same way that she insisted that her trial be held in public.
Police officers investigating the case also found communications Dominique Pélicot allegedly sent on a messaging website commonly used by criminals, in which he invited men to sexually abuse his wife. The website has been shut down.
Crude details of the repeated abuses, which investigators said began in 2011, and of the elaborate system Pélicot had put into place over 10 years emerged on Wednesday during the trial.
Men invited to the couple’s home had to follow certain rules — they could not talk loudly, had to remove their clothes in the kitchen, could not wear perfume nor smell of tobacco, French media reported.
They sometimes had to wait up to an hour and a half on a nearby parking lot for the drug to take full effect and render their victim unconscious.
Upon hearing some of the chilling details in court, the couple’s daughter, who appears naked in photomontages found on her father’s computer, broke down and had to leave the courtroom, French media reported.
Because Pélicot videotaped the alleged rapes, police were able to track down — over a period of two years — a majority of the 72 suspects they were seeking.
Besides Pélicot, 50 other men, aged 22 to 70, are standing trial. Several defendants are denying some of the accusations against them, alleging they were manipulated by Pélicot.
Over the next few months, the defendants will appear in small groups before a panel of five judges, with Pélicot scheduled to speak next week. Psychologists, psychiatrists and computer experts will also testify.
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Vaux-Montagny reported from Lyon, France
A woman is set to testify in a French rape trial about a decade-long ordeal of drugging and abuse that she endured at the hands of her alleged attacker. The trial, which is set to begin next week, has garnered national attention in France and has sparked a conversation about the prevalence of sexual violence against women.
The woman, whose identity has not been disclosed to the public, alleges that she was drugged and raped by the accused over a period of ten years. She claims that the man, who was a close family friend, would drug her drinks at social gatherings and take advantage of her while she was unconscious. The abuse reportedly began when she was just a teenager and continued into her adulthood.
The woman’s testimony is expected to be a crucial piece of evidence in the trial, as it will provide firsthand accounts of the abuse she suffered at the hands of the accused. Her testimony will also shed light on the psychological and emotional toll that such abuse can have on a victim, as well as the difficulties that many survivors face in coming forward and seeking justice.
The case has reignited discussions about the need for stronger laws and policies to protect victims of sexual violence in France. Many advocates are calling for increased support for survivors, as well as harsher penalties for perpetrators of such crimes. The trial is being closely watched by activists and lawmakers alike, who hope that it will lead to meaningful changes in how cases of sexual violence are handled in the country.
Overall, the woman’s testimony in this French rape trial serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of listening to and believing survivors of sexual violence. It is a testament to the strength and resilience of those who come forward to seek justice, and a call to action for society as a whole to do better in protecting and supporting victims of such heinous crimes.
