Dominique Pelicot, the central figure in a mass rape trial that has stunned France, admitted in court on Tuesday, September 17, that he is a "rapist" alongside 50 other defendants accused of participating in the assaults. This marks his first significant statement since the trial began on September 2.
The 71-year-old Pelicot confessed to raping his ex-wife, Gisele Pelicot, while she was drugged, and revealed that he had recruited the other men, who he claimed were also guilty of rape. "I am a rapist like the others in this room. They all knew they could not deny it," Pelicot said in court. He added that his former wife, now 72, "did not deserve this."
Prosecutors revealed that Pelicot had offered sexual encounters with his wife on a website and recorded the assaults. The trial, taking place in Avignon, involves 50 other men accused of participating in the abuse, though none of the co-defendants have commented on the charges so far.
Gisele Pelicot, who has chosen to publicly face the men accused of raping her, attended the trial alongside Dominique's brother, Joel. She sought a public trial to bring light to the horrific acts she endured. From 2011 to 2020, Dominique Pelicot allegedly drugged his wife with anti-anxiety medication, leaving her unconscious while he and the men he recruited raped her.
Despite previous delays due to Dominique Pelicot's health issues, the court determined he was fit to stand trial. His lawyer, Beatrice Zavarro, had earlier mentioned that Pelicot was suffering from a bladder clot and the early stages of a kidney infection. Nonetheless, the trial continues, with the court now likely to hear further testimony from Gisele Pelicot.
This trial has sparked outrage across France, shedding light on the deeply disturbing actions of those involved.
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