CONTENT WARNING: This article discusses rape.
Convicted rapist Dominique Pelicot, will not be appealing his 20-year prison sentence. Dominique was found guilty of drugging and raping his ex-wife Gisèle Pelicot, and inviting more than 50 men to rape her while she was unconscious.
In the rape trial that shocked the world, the 72-year-old was found guilty of all charges laid against him. The charges included aggravated rape against Gisèle, making and distributing pictures of Gisèle, and making and distributing sexual images of his adult daughter Caroline and the wives of his sons.
Following the verdict, Dominique was handed the maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
On Monday, Dominque’s lawyer confirmed that he would not be appealing his sentence, as he wants to spare Gisèle from a “new ordeal” of another trial.
“He believes that the judicial page should be turned and that this chapter should be considered closed,” Dominique’s lawyer, Bèatrice Zavarro told France Info.
Alongside Dominique’s conviction, 51 men who were on trial in connection to Gisèle’s case were all found guilty. Per Reuters, 47 of them were found guilty of rape, another two of attempted rape and two more of sexual assault.
According to the Associated Press, a French court handed down a range of sentences of three to 15 years imprisonment for the 50 men found guilty of rape.
Zavarro added that 17 of the 50 men have appealed their sentences.
Gisèle’s case gripped the world following Dominique’s admission to drugging and raping her and inviting more than 70 men to rape her while she was drugged for almost a decade.
Throughout the three-month trial, the 72-year-old grandma became a symbol of resilience and feminism by waving her right to anonymity and pushing for the hearings and evidence to be heard in open court.
When the verdict was handed down to her ex-husband and the men involved, advocates rallied outside of the courthouse in support of Gisèle.
Back on December 20, Giséle’s lawyer Stéphane Babonneau said she is “not afraid” of a new trial and that she would “face it”.
“In any case, she is not afraid of it. That is to say, if it were to happen, she has already indicated to us that she would face it — if she is healthy, obviously, since she is a lady who is now 72 years old. But in any case, it does not scare her, that is what she told us,” her lawyer told France Inter.
The appeals trials are expected to take place in late 2025, Associated Press reports.
Help is available.
- If you require immediate assistance, please call 000.
- If you’d like to speak to someone about sexual violence, please call the 1800 Respect hotline on 1800 737 732 or chat online.
- Under 25? You can reach Kids Helpline at 1800 55 1800 or chat online.
image source: AP Newsroom
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