Trial begins for 51 men accused of raping woman in France

Yesterday, as British tourists marvelled at the holy sites in Avignon, an elderly woman endured a harrowing ordeal during a stifling French trial held outside the historic courthouse walls.

For four agonizing years since police searched her home, Gisele Pelicot has struggled with a horrifying reality: Her husband, Dominique, drugged her with sleeping pills and invited strangers to allegedly attack her while she lay unconscious, videotaping the abuse.

This shocking discovery led to her having a severe nervous breakdown that left her on the verge of suicide.

Yesterday, she appeared for the first time before 50 men accused of raping her while she slept at her French trial. The court asked each man to give his name, age and occupation. Mme Pelicot, a 71-year-old grandmother, noted that the defendants ranged in occupation from restaurateurs to firefighters, aged 26 to 72.

She hadn’t seen her husband since his arrest in November 2020. When Dominique Pelicot appeared in the dock, she studied him closely. The only comment she made to her lawyer, Antoine Camus, was her surprise at how much he had aged in the four years he had spent in custody.

Before her French trial, M. Camus spoke of her extreme fear of confronting her husband and hearing the details of the assault she had unknowingly experienced. Police discovered that Dominique had filmed the rape of his wife 90 times between 2011 and 2020. The recordings led to the arrests of 50 men; 22 more remain unidentified.

M. Camus described the family’s devastation, stating that they were prepared to face the ordeal but admitted it was difficult. Mme Pelicot was to learn the full extent of what had become of her in the next few months.

The trial, which is set to last until Christmas, is a significant legal event in France. With 51 men, including Dominique, accused of aggravated rape, the Vaucluse departmental criminal court has never tried so many defendants at once. The courtroom had to accommodate 18 men in a Plexiglas dock and 32 on bail, one of whom failed to appear.

The case is the first in France in which a husband allegedly drugged his wife so others could attack her, and the first to shed light on the use of chemicals in such crimes. It also highlights the role of online chat rooms, such as the one Dominique used to recruit alleged rapists and post videos.

Ms. Pelicot opted for a public hearing, waiving her right to anonymity in hopes of raising awareness and preventing such crimes. Her lawyer said she wanted the public to know and make sure the shame stayed with the accused, not her.

When the 50 defendants identified themselves, they appeared to be a cross-section of provincial Frenchmen. Lawyer Louis-Alain Lemaire, representing four of the defendants, claimed they had no intention of raping and had no knowledge of Dominique’s plans. Guillame de Palma, representing six others, echoed that, saying his clients had no knowledge of the trap that had been laid for them.

A gardener in his 60s, one of the accused claimed he left quickly when he realised what was happening, but admitted to sexually assaulting Mme Pelicot. M. Camus rejected these excuses, emphasising the seriousness of their actions.

Dominique and Gisele Pelicot seemed respectable, living a quiet life in a Provençal village after retiring to Paris. However, psychology experts will portray Dominique as a perverse personality who enjoyed humiliating his wife.

He allegedly drugged her several times a month, then called the men in the chat room to attack her. He instructed them to avoid detection, including parking away from the house and leaving no trace.

It is not known whether the recordings will be shown at the French trial. Ms Pelicot’s health had been affected by repeated medication, and she had unexplained gynaecological problems. She might never have learned of the extent of the abuse if Dominique had not been arrested in 2020 for taking inappropriate photos of women in a supermarket. Police found the recordings during a search.

Dominique cooperated with investigators in explaining his actions. His lawyer, Beatrice Zavarro, noted that the court’s task is to discover why he took pleasure in watching his wife being assaulted.

Over the next few months, Mme Pelicot will learn the full extent of her husband’s betrayal. One can only hope that she will endure the inevitable agony that accompanies the truth.