A French woman who faced alleged abuses at the hands of her ex-husband and more than 50 others gave her first testimony in court on Thursday.
Gisèle Pélicot, 72, was allegedly drugged and raped after her ex-husband Dominique Pélicot invited the men to participate in her abuse online. Pélicot also filmed the alleged acts, which police used ultimately to arrest him and dozens more on charges of aggravated rape after two years of investigation.
Dominique Pélicot, also in his 70s, allegedly recruited at least 72 other men from 2011 through 2020 to assault his wife. Of the suspects, police were able to track down 50 of the men before trial.
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In September 2020, Dominique landed on the police’s radar after being caught taking photos of women’s crotches at a supermarket. Officers then discovered thousands of photos and videos on his personal devices depicting aggravated assault on Gisèle’s person.
“It’s unbearable,” said Gisèle. “I have so much to say that I don’t always know where to start.”
Gisèle and Dominique were married for 50 years until 2020, when police shared the extent of alleged abuse incurred. They share three children together.
Gisele Pelicot speaks to media as she leaves the Avignon courthouse, southern France, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024. A woman allegedly drugged by her ex-husband so that she could be raped by other men while she laid unconscious, is expected to testify before a panel of French judges. (AP Photo/Lewis Joly)
“For me, everything collapses,” testified Gisèle. “These are scenes of barbarity, of rape.”
Gisèle’s attorneys argued that she was so heavily drugged from crushed-up pills that she had no idea the alleged rapes were going on for nearly 10 years in her own home. She waived her legal right to a closed trial in the hopes her public testimony may spare survivors of similar sexual crimes.
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A toxicologist called to testify on Thursday claimed she was administered a “cocktail” of medications which can cause unconsciousness: Temesta, Zolpidem, hypnotic, and anxiolytic drugs. Gisèle admitted there are memory holes during the years the alleged abuses occurred.
Dominique Pélicot shared with police that he had certain house rules for the alleged rapists, including wearing no scent and thorough hand-washing. Additionally, the men had to remove their clothing before entering their bedroom.
Gisele Pelicot, left, arrives in the Avignon courthouse, in Avignon, southern France, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024. A woman allegedly drugged by her ex-husband so that she could be raped by other men while she laid unconscious, is expected to testify before a panel of French judges. (AP Photo/Lewis Joly)
She contracted no fewer than four sexually transmitted infections during the near-decade-long abuses, according to a medical expert. The alleged rapists were forced by Dominique to not wear condoms, including one allegedly HIV-positive. HIV transmission is not a criminal offense in France save for certain circumstances.
“I was sacrificed on the altar of vice,” Gisèle Pélicot testified. “They regarded me like a rag doll, like a garbage bag.”
Several of the defendants, aged 22 to 70, argued they were manipulated by Dominique Pelicot to engage in the abuse. Some of them had to wait up to 90 minutes nearby for Gisèle Pélicot to fall unconscious.
Gisele Pelicot arrives in the Avignon court house, in Avignon, southern France, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024. A woman allegedly drugged by her ex-husband so that she could be raped by other men while she laid unconscious, is expected to testify before a panel of French judges. (AP Photo/Lewis Joly)
“These men entered my home, respected the imposed protocol. They did not rape me with a gun to the head. They raped me in all conscience,” testified Gisèle. “Why didn’t they go to the police station? Even an anonymous phone call could have saved my life.”
The trial, which began Monday, is scheduled to continue for the next four months. If found guilty, each defendant faces up to 20 years in prison.
“We will have to fight until the end,” asserted Gisèle.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.