A French court has sentenced Giselle Pelicotʼs ex-husband, Dominique, to 20 years in prison. He was found guilty of aggravated rape and all other charges against him.
This is reported by France 24.
Judges confirmed that for almost a decade, Dominique Pelicot drugged his wife with tranquilizers and invited others to use her body, recording everything on photos and videos. Thousands of photos and videos of such rapes were found on Dominiqueʼs hard drive. In total, police identified almost 200 cases of violence. Another 50 men were found guilty of raping Giselle Pelicot. There have been no acquittals.
Dominique admitted to inviting dozens of men to his home to rape his then-wife while she was unconscious and drugged. At the same time, he apologized to his family and praised the courage of his now-ex-wife in going public with the case, one of the most high-profile in France in decades.
More than 20 suspects remain at large because investigators were unable to establish their identities before the start of the trial.
The case has sparked a national debate about womenʼs rights and domestic sexual violence, with Giselle, 72, being glorified in lyrics and street graffiti, and rallies held in her support.
The Giselle Pelicot case, also known in France as the “Mazan rapist case,” changed the life of the village of Mazan itself. Most of the accused lived there and had good reputations. The village has a population of 5 000 people — everyone knew each other. Dominique searched for men who wanted to rape his wife among fellow villagers and on online forums.
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