French Mass Rape: Gisèle Pelicot's Ex-Husband, 50 Others Found Guilty

After years of legal battles and investigations, Gisèle Pelicot's ex-husband and 50 other perpetrators were found guilty of drugging and raping her. On December 19, the Avignon court delivered its long-awaited verdict and sentenced Dominique Pelicot to 20 years in jail for drugging his wife and inviting dozens of men to rape her for nine years. He was also found guilty of the aggravated rape of the wife of another accused, Jean Pierre Marechal. 

Jean Pierre Marechal has been accused of raping his own wife, Cillia, and sentenced to 12 years in prison. According to reports, he followed the same pattern as Dominique, by drugging his wife for five years and inviting different men, including Dominique, to rape her.

Meanwhile, prosecutors have requested a range of between four to 18 years for either aggravated rape or sexual assault for the remaining 49 accused. The perpetrators in this mass rape case are:

1. Dominique Pelicot - guilty of all charges, including taking indecent photos of his daughter, Caroline Darian
2. Jean-Pierre Marechal - guilty of attempted rape and aggravated rape.
3. Charly Arbo - the youngest on trial has been found guilty of aggravated rape at 30 years old.
4. Christian Lescole - guilty of aggravated rape but acquitted of having child abuse imagery.
5. Cyrille Delville - guilty of aggravated rape.
6. Florian Rocca - guilty of aggravated rape.
7. Jacques Cubeau - guilty of aggravated rape.
8. Nicolas Francois - guilty of aggravated rape and child abuse imagery.
9. Simoné Mekenese - guilty of aggravated rape.
10. Thierry Parisis - guilty of aggravated rape.
11. Patrice Nicolle - guilty of aggravated rape.
12. Nizar Hamida - guilty of aggravated rape.
13. Boris Moulin - guilty of aggravated rape.
14. Dominique Davies - guilty of aggravated rape.
15. Jerome Vilela - guilty of aggravated rape.
16. Didier Sambuchi - guilty of aggravated rape.
17. Cyprien Culieras - guilty of aggravated rape.
18. Mathieu Dartus - guilty of aggravated rape.
19. Quentin Hennebert - guilty of aggravated rape.
20. Cyril Beaubis - guilty of aggravated rape.
21. Philippe Leleu - guilty of aggravated rape.
22. Jean-Luc LA - guilty of aggravated rape.
23. Fabien Sotton - guilty of aggravated rape.
24. Karim Sebaoui - guilty of aggravated rape and having child abuse imagery.
25. Redouane Azougagh - guilty of aggravated rape.
26. Joan Kawai - guilty of aggravated rape.
27. Jean-Marc LeLoup - guilty of aggravated rape.
28. Andy Rodriguez - guilty of attempted rape and aggravating factors.
29. Vincent Coullet - guilty of aggravated rape.
30. Adrien Longeron - guilty of aggravated rape and child abuse imagery.
31. Hughes Malago - guilty of attempted rape and two aggravating factors.
32. Ahmed Tbarik - guilty of aggravated rape.
33. Paul-Koikoi Grovogui - guilty of aggravated rape.
34. Omar Douiri - guilty of aggravated rape.
35. Husamettin Dogan - guilty of aggravated rape.
36. Romain Vandevelde - guilty of aggravated rape.
37. Joseph Cocco - guilty of aggravated sexual assault.
38. Hassan Ouamou - guilty of aggravated rape.
39. Redouane El Farihi - guilty of aggravated rape.
40. Saifeddine Ghabi - guilty of sexual assault and acquitted of rape and attempted rape
41. Jean Tirano - guilty of aggravated rape.
42. Joseph Cocco - guilty of aggravated sexual assault.
43. Hassan Ouamou - guilty of aggravated rape.
44. Redouane El Farihi - guilty of aggravated rape.
45. Mohamed Rafaa - guilty of aggravated rape.
46. Ludovick Blemeur - guilty of aggravated rape.
47. Patrick Aron - guilty of aggravated rape.
48. Abdelali Dallal - guilty of aggravated rape.
49. Grégory Serviol - guilty of aggravated rape.
50. Cedric Grassot - guilty of aggravated rape.
51. Cendric Venzin - guilty of aggravated rape.

A Case That Shook The World

For years, Gisèle Pélicot, the survivor, exhibited signs that baffled her family and friends. Her deteriorating health, marked by weight loss, hair loss, and memory lapses, led those around her to fear that she was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Her symptoms were so severe that she would sometimes forget entire days or enter dreamlike trances, leaving her loved ones deeply concerned.

In late 2020, the horrifying truth came to light when she was summoned to a police station in southern France. It was there that she learned the unimaginable: her husband of 50 years, Dominique Pélicot, had been drugging her with sleeping pills, rendering her unconscious, and then sexually assaulting her. But the horror didn’t end there. He had also invited dozens of men into their home to rape her, filming the assaults, in a nightmare that spanned nearly a decade, as reported by The New York Times.

The details of the abuse are chilling. Dominique had been crushing sleeping pills and anti-anxiety medication into his wife’s food and drink, ensuring she was in a deep, almost comatose state. He then used an online chatroom called 'without her knowing' to ‘recruit men’ who shared fantasies of performing sexual acts on non-consenting partners. These men were instructed to avoid any scents, such as perfume or cigarette smoke, and to leave immediately if Gisèle moved even slightly, to avoid arousing suspicion.

Speaking at a recent trial, Gisèle said, "He took me to a neurologist, to scanners when I was worried. He also went with me to the gynaecologist. For me, he was someone I trusted entirely.” She said to Dominique Pelicot in court: “So many times, I said to myself how lucky am I to have you at my side.”

The survivor said she had also noticed gynaecological problems, which he had also supported her through. “I consulted three gynaecologists. Several times I had woken up and felt like I had lost my waters – as happens when you give birth.” She also recalled a time she Dominique insisted on joining her for a hairdressing appointment when had what seemed like a blackout and did not remember the haircut or styling.

The evidence against Dominique Pélicot was overwhelming. A security guard caught him filming up women’s skirts in a supermarket, which led to his arrest on November 2, 2020. A subsequent search of his home uncovered a USB drive labelled "abuses," containing 20,000 images and videos of his wife being raped nearly 100 times. Since his arrest, Pélicot has confessed to his crimes, stating, “I put her to sleep, I offered her, and I filmed”, as reported by The Guardian.

Mass Rape Trial 

The trial, which began on September 2 in Avignon, drew significant attention, not only because of the nature of the crimes but also because of the sheer number of accused individuals. The 50 men on trial, including Dominique Pélicot, represent a cross-section of French society—truck drivers, soldiers, carpenters, nurses, and even a local journalist. They range in age from 26 to 74, and many have families of their own.

Gisèle Pélicot said she was testifying “for all women” who had been assaulted while drugged and to ensure “no woman suffers this." For this reason, she has waived her right to anonymity for the trial to be held in public, with the support of her three adult children. 

Caroline Darian Abuse

According to the Guardian, partially naked photos of Caroline Darian were found on her father Dominique's laptop. She recalled that she did not recognise herself when she first saw the disturbing photos. "I thought she was astonishingly pale and with dark circles under her eyes... The sheets reminded me vaguely of something but nothing more. I repeated that I didn’t recognise myself. 'No, it’s not me,' I said.”

It was only when the police showed her the brown mole on her cheek in the photo that Caroline realised that it could be her in the photos. "How could he have photographed me in the middle of the night without waking me? Did he also drug me? Worse still, did he abuse me?” The photos were allegedly found under a file called 'My Naked Daughter'. 

Caroline's book, Et j’ai cessé de t’appeler papa (And I stopped calling you father), which will be published in English in December, describes how she became increasingly tormented by the idea she was another survivor of her father’s “perversity”.

Gisèle's Testimony

In a moving testimony on November 19, Gisele Pelicot said in the Avignon court, "For me, this is the trial of cowardice, there is no other way to describe it." The trial heads towards delivering its verdicts around December 20, CNN reported. 

Pelicot insisted on the trial, which began on September 2, being held in public as she hoped that it could change society and expose rape culture. "I hear lots of women, and men, who say you’re very brave. I say it’s not bravery, it’s will and determination to change society," she said in an October 23 trial.

Condemning rape culture, Gisèle said, "It is time for society to look at this macho, patriarchal society and change the way it looks at rape." She also added that she would never forgive him. Her two sons asked the court to punish Dominique severely and said that he was dead to them. In another shocking revelation, Gisèle's daughter, Caroline Darian, believes that she was also drugged and abused by her father.

Gisèle's Message For All Survivors

Gisèle has become a feminist hero since the case came to light as she courageously shares her story and seeks justice. During each trial, her supporters standing outside the court greet her with cheers and signboards reading, 'Gisèle, women thank you' The public hopes that this case would change attitudes to sex crimes and consent and tighten rape laws in the country.

In an October 23 trial, Gisèle expressed that she wants to lift the shame felt by rape survivors “I wanted all survivors of rape – not just when they have been drugged, rape exists at all levels – I want those survivors to say, 'Mrs Pelicot did it, we can do it too.' When you’re raped there is shame, and it’s not for us to have shame, it’s for them.”

Gisèle continued, "The profile of a rapist is not someone met in a car park late at night. A rapist can also be in the family, among our friends. We have to progress on rape culture in society … People should learn the definition of rape.” 

'I Am A Rapist': Husband Admits Inviting 72 Men To Rape His Wife 

Earlier in October 2024, Dominique Pelicot confessed to all allegations in his initial testimony. Pelicot, in reference to the 50 co-defendants accused of raping his now ex-wife Gisèle, stated, "I am a rapist like the others in this room. They all knew; they cannot say the contrary.” He further added about his ex-wife, saying, "She did not deserve this. I was very happy with her," he told the court.

Pelicot opened the proceedings by telling the court about his horrible childhood experiences, including being assaulted by a male nurse when he was nine. When questioned about his marriage to Gisèle, Pelicot revealed that he had contemplated suicide upon discovering her affair.

During his testimony on the morning of August 17, Pelicot frequently emphasised to the court that he never "hated" his wife and was instead "crazy about [her]... I loved her immensely and I still do." He added, "I loved her well for 40 years and badly for 10," seemingly referencing the decade during which he drugged and abused her. 

This disturbing case, as a trial unfolded in Avignon involving 50 men accused of prolonged sexual abuse of a woman over nearly a decade. This harrowing case has not only shocked the nation but has also ignited widespread discussions about sexual crimes, rape culture and its broader societal implications.