Fifty-one men accused of raping an almost 70-year-old woman, will stand for trial from September 2 until December 2, in Vaucluse, southern France.
The defendants include ex-husband Dominique P., who allegedly drugged his wife for ten years without her consent, allowing dozens of men, approached through the Internet, to intrude into her home and rape her.
The case surfaced in 2020, when the victim, Gisèle, first discovered recordings of the assaults. Dominique P. allegedly used narcotics to tranquilize his wife, creating a disturbing pattern in which he facilitated the abuses by “inviting” several men to his apartment. The shocking revelations led to his arrest and a broader investigation into the violence.
After the case was exposed, French police dedicated two years to tracking down and identifying the suspects involved. This thorough investigation has been crucial in bringing the perpetrators to justice and discovering the extent of the crimes.
According to the French newspaper Le Parisien, 51 men will be prosecuted, while The Times (UK) added that the total number of rapes committed is 92, with 83 men involved over the years. The complexity and seriousness of the case has attracted considerable media and public attention.
It was later confirmed that Dominique secretly filmed the assaults, reporting that police found more than 20,000 videos and photographs during the investigation, with a timeline spanning back to 2011.
As a matter of fact, Gisèle, who had been suffering from memory loss and physical symptoms prior to discovering the abuse, was completely unaware of what had happened to her until the police informed her. Despite the trauma she has endured, Gisèle has requested that the trial be made public, highlighting the importance of transparency and justice in such a grave case.
One of her attorneys, Stéphane Babonneau, declared, “She wants to raise as much awareness as possible about what happened to her so that events like this never happen again.”
Dominique’s lawyer, Béatrice Zavarro, declared that Pélicot does not dispute the charges and “has always pleaded guilty,” according to The Times. The lawyer pointed out that the suspect wants his co-defendants “to accept their responsibility for the crimes committed, rather than blaming him.”
The upcoming trial is not only about the personal violation suffered by Gisèle, but most importantly, raises broader questions about the mechanisms in place to protect and safeguard people from such serious abuse. Indeed, it highlights the need for vigilance and a strong legal framework to prevent similar crimes and support victims in their quest for justice.
