The final round of Dominique Pelicot’s trial has begun in Avignon, France, where he and 49 other defendants are charged with planning and taking part in the mass rape and abuse of Pelicot’s ex-wife, Gisele Pelicot.
On Monday, prosecutors started submitting sentencing recommendations after weeks of horrific evidence and testimony.
The principal defendant, Dominique Pelicot, said that he had drugged Gisele between 2011 and 2020 and that he had set up dozens of strangers to abuse her at their Mazan, a tiny town in southern France.
Pelicot painstakingly recorded these activities with photographs and films, according to the prosecution, which were discovered following his detention for unrelated crimes.
Calls for stricter laws against sexual violence in France have increased as a result of the case’s national and worldwide exposure.
Tens of thousands participated in protests nationwide on Saturday, calling for more protections for women.
Gisele Pelicot’s courage was praised by Chile’s parliamentary president, who called her “an ordinary citizen who has taught the whole world a lesson.”
Men from a variety of backgrounds make up the 49 co-defendants, who range in age from 26 to 74. Many alleged that Pelicot had deceived them into thinking the abuse was acceptable role-play.
Court-appointed psychologists denied the defendants’ contention that they were not mentally competent when they took part.
It is anticipated that prosecutors would ask for Dominique Pelicot to receive the maximum term of 20 years in prison, as well as perhaps harsh punishments for other defendants who participated in the same crimes repeatedly or planned them.
Jean-Pierre M., one of them, was charged with using Pelicot’s methods to misuse his own wife on multiple occasions, faces grave charges.
The effects of the crimes on Gisele Pelicot and her family, including her three children and stepchildren, were disclosed by her legal team. Antoine Camus, her attorney, demanded that Gisele and her family members receive “truth and justice.”
The trial has drawn attention to structural shortcomings in the fight against violence against women and spurred more extensive discussions on France’s accountability culture.
Monday marked the start of the sentencing phase, which is anticipated to last three days. A definitive verdict is expected by December 20 after defense attorneys reply later this week.
