The ex-husband of Gisèle Pelicot will not appeal the sentence for planning to rape many people – National
More than ten men convicted of raping Gisèle Pelicot plan to appeal their sentences, but her ex-husband, the mastermind behind her abuse, will not be one of them, her lawyer said.
Speaking to France Info, lawyer Béatrice Zavarro said that Dominique Pelicot wants to save his ex-wife from the pain of another case, but he also admitted that there is a possibility of a new trial before a public judge that could lead to a long prison sentence.
Of the 50 accused of rape, one was released but found guilty of sexual abuse. Another man was also found guilty of sexual assault at the same trial – meaning all 51 defendants were found guilty in one way or another.
The 17 men plan to appeal, according to French media.
The court sentenced Dominique Pelicot to 20 years in prison for taking drugs and raping Gisèle Pelicot and allowing other men to rape her while she was unconscious.
This court photo by Valentin Pasquier shows Gisèle Pelicot, left, and her ex-husband Dominique Pelicot, right, during her trial, at the Avignon courthouse, in Avignon, southern France, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024.
Valentin Pasquier / The Associated Press
During the trial, Dominique Pelicot admitted that for almost ten years he had been feeding his wife without her knowledge of food and drink and invited a number of men to rape her while she did not consent. Gisèle Pelicot revealed that she does not remember these events and spent years wondering why she was so tired.
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The trial caught on in France and raised awareness of sexual violence. Gisèle Pelicot waived her right to anonymity as a survivor of sexual abuse and successfully pushed for the hearing and shocking evidence – including her husband's homemade videos of the rape – to be heard in open court, insisting that the shame should fall on her abusers, not her.
The community also applauded him and he became a star against sexual violence.
Demonstration of support for Gisèle Pélicot and all rape victims on September 14, 2024.
Alain Apaydin / ABACA Press
Those convicted ranged from 26 to 74 years of age. Many of them deny that he raped Gisèle Pelicot, saying that her then-husband cheated on them or they believed that he agreed.
“We are fighting the same war,” he said in his first words after a court in the French city of Avignon handed down the prison terms. He added that he was thinking about his grandchildren during the difficult trial, which lasted more than three months.
Gisele Pelicot speaks to the media as she leaves the court, at the court in Avignon, southern France, Thursday, December 19, 2024.
Lewis Joly / The Associated Press
“They are also the ones who led this war,” he said at the time.
–in files from the Associated Press
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