Gisele Pelicot’s Ex-Husband Sentenced to 20 Years in France Mass Rape Trial.

Gisele Pelicot’s Ex-Husband Sentenced to 20 Years in France Mass Rape Trial
By AFP
Published on: December 19, 2024, 12:59 PM (EAT)

A French court on Thursday sentenced Dominique Pelicot to 20 years in prison, the maximum penalty, for orchestrating and committing the mass rapes of his former wife, Gisele Pelicot, over nearly a decade. Fifty co-defendants were also convicted in the case, with sentencing continuing throughout the day.

Dominique Pelicot, 72, had already confessed to the crimes. During the trial, held in the southern city of Avignon, he admitted to drugging Gisele so he and strangers he recruited online could repeatedly rape her. The verdict concludes a three-month trial that shocked the nation and transformed Gisele into a symbol of resilience and feminist advocacy.

Presiding Judge Roger Arata declared Pelicot guilty of aggravated rape and specified that he would not be eligible for parole until serving two-thirds of his sentence.

The courtroom was heavily guarded, and tension was palpable as defendants arrived prepared for prison. One man was seen tearfully embracing his companion before the hearing.

A Feminist Icon

Gisele Pelicot, also 72, waived her right to a closed trial, confronting her aggressors and becoming an emblem of courage for women worldwide. She arrived at court smiling, greeted by supporters chanting slogans like “Justice for Gisele” and “Shame has Changed Sides.”

“This verdict matters to women everywhere,” said Ghislaine Sainte Catherine of the feminist collective Amazons of Avignon. “The world is watching.”

Gisele’s children, David, Caroline, and Florian, attended the proceedings, entering the courtroom alongside some of the accused.

A Landmark Trial

Alongside Dominique Pelicot, the other 50 defendants, aged 27 to 74, faced charges of aggravated rape, with one on the run and being tried in absentia. Prosecutors sought sentences ranging from 10 to 18 years for 49 of the accused, while one man, charged with groping, faces up to four years in prison.

Thirty-two defendants had been free during the trial, while others, including Dominique Pelicot, remained in custody.

A National Reckoning

The case dominated French media on Thursday, with headlines reflecting the trial’s significance. “A Verdict for the Future,” declared Liberation, while L’Humanité simply stated, “Merci Madame.”

For Gisele Pelicot and her supporters, the sentencing represents a turning point, not just for justice in her case but for women’s rights globally.