A French court on Thursday convicted Dominique Pelicot, the ex-husband of Gisele Pelicot, along with 50 co-defendants in a mass-rape case that garnered global attention, according to Al Jazeera.
A panel of five judges at the criminal court in Avignon found 72-year-old Dominique Pelicot guilty of orchestrating the drugging and rape of his wife for nearly a decade, during which he offered her to 50 co-conspirators. The verdict was delivered after a three-month trial, Al Jazeera reported.
Pelicot, who pleaded guilty to the charges, received the maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, while prosecutors sought sentences ranging from four to 18 years for the other defendants. Almost all of the 50 co-defendants, aged between 27 and 74, were charged with raping Gisele Pelicot. Some admitted to their crimes, while others claimed they believed she had consented, according to Al Jazeera.
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During the trial, Pelicot confessed to drugging his ex-wife of 50 years so that he and strangers he recruited online could assault her, often filming the abuse. He denied misleading his accomplices, asserting that they were aware of their actions. “I am a rapist like the others in this room,” he stated during his testimony, Al Jazeera reported.
The court ultimately convicted 47 of the defendants of rape, two of attempted rape, and two of sexual assault.
Presiding judge Roger Arata announced that Dominique Pelicot would not be eligible for parole until he had served two-thirds of his sentence.
“I respect the court and the decision of its verdict,” Gisele Pelicot told reporters, expressing her thoughts for “unrecognised victims whose stories often remain in the shadows.” She shared her hope for a future where “everyone, woman and man, can live in harmony,” as quoted by Al Jazeera.
Gisele Pelicot also stated that she “never regretted” making the trial public. She waived her right to anonymity during the hearings, declaring, “I’ve decided not to be ashamed, I’ve done nothing wrong. They are the ones who must be ashamed,” during her testimony in October.
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