September 17th 2024.
During the trial, Gisèle made the bold decision to waive her anonymity. This was a significant move as she was married to one of the worst sexual predators in French history. Dominique Pélicot, 71, shocked the court when he admitted to raping Gisèle and allowing multiple strangers to also assault her. It was the first time he spoke about his crimes, stating that he recognized and took full responsibility for his actions. The elderly man appeared in court in Avignon, but his health had been deteriorating over the past week.
Pélicot was not the only one on trial, as 50 other men were also accused of the aggravated rape of Gisèle, who is also 71 years old. She remained stoic as Pélicot entered the courtroom with the assistance of a cane. This was the man who had been described by his own daughter as one of the most notorious sexual predators in recent years. Pélicot made a shocking statement, admitting that he was indeed a rapist and that everyone in the room had the same title.
During his testimony, Pélicot also brought up the traumatic experiences he had endured as a child. He revealed that he was raped at the young age of nine and then forced to witness another sexual assault when he was 14. These experiences had left him with nothing but traumatic memories. However, things changed when he met Gisèle as a teenager. He described her as the complete opposite of his rebellious mother and said that they were happy together. They had three children and even grandchildren, whom he never touched.
Despite their divorce, Pélicot acknowledged that Gisèle did not deserve to be treated the way he had treated her. He had been in custody since 2020 for drugging and raping her, while also inviting men he had met online to do the same. This was a heinous crime that could result in a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Gisèle had been present in court every day, accompanied by her lawyers.
Psychologists who evaluated Pélicot described him as a "Jekyll and Hyde" character. He appeared to be a normal husband during the day but would drug his wife at night so that strangers could rape her. Pélicot's daughter, Caroline Darian, also testified and stated that he was one of the most notorious sexual predators of recent years. She revealed that he had secretly taken nude photos of her and her two sister-in-laws. These photos were taken at the family home in Mazan, where Pélicot had also invited the alleged rapists.
Pélicot's arrest in September 2020 was the result of him secretly filming up women's skirts at a supermarket. Upon searching his devices, police found hundreds of pornographic videos and photos of women. It was during his time in custody that Pélicot led the police to a hard drive hidden under a printer. This hard drive contained a file labeled "Abuses" which contained the nicknames and phone numbers of attackers, along with over 3,800 photos and videos of Gisèle being raped between 2011 and 2020.
The investigation revealed a total of 92 rapes committed by 72 men, of which 51 have been identified. Pélicot's sex ring operated by advertising on an online forum called "Without Her Knowing" on the coco.fr website. Out of the 83 men involved, 51 have been identified and arrested by the police. These men include civil servants, ambulance workers, soldiers, prison guards, nurses, a journalist, a municipal counselor, and truck drivers.
In addition to this case, Pélicot has also been charged with the rape and murder of a 23-year-old estate agent in Paris in 1991. He has admitted to one attempted rape in 1999, after DNA testing proved his guilt. The trial for the Avignon aggravated rape case is expected to last until December 21. So far, fourteen of the defendants have also admitted to rape, while the remaining deny any involvement in the crimes.
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