After four months of a historic trial, Dominique Pélicot was sentenced to 20 years in prison— the maximum penalty—for the aggravated rape of his ex-wife, Gisèle Pélicot.
The other 50 defendants, almost all of whom were tried for “aggravated rape” of Gisèle Pélicot, were all found guilty and sentenced to a minimum of three years in prison. Two of the defendants had their sentences suspended.
Dominique Pélicot’s sentence was in line with the prosecution’s recommendations. He was found guilty of raping, sedating, and filming his now 72-year-old wife being sexually assaulted over a 10-year period. Nearly 200 rapes were recorded.
He was also found guilty of recording and possessing images taken without the knowledge of his wife, daughter, and daughters-in-law. He will also be registered on the national sex offenders register.
Gisèle Pélicot thanked supporters outside of the courtroom following the verdict.
“Your messages moved me deeply, and they gave me the strength to come back, every day, and survive through these long daily hearings,” she said, according to the Associated Press. “This trial was a very difficult ordeal.”
The sentences handed down to Dominique Pélicot’s 50 co-defendants, on the other hand, were significantly lower overall than those recommended by the court, which had set the minimum sentence for rape at 10 years. The court considered that not all the defendants were aware of the fact that Gisèle Pélicot had been drugged for the assaults. This was the argument presented by several defense attorneys but was not recognized for all but one of the defendants, resulting in a reduced sentence.
Jean-Pierre M., who was the only defendant not to appear for acts committed on Gisèle Pélicot but on his own wife, was sentenced to 12 years in prison. He had used the same sedation and rape methods as Dominique Pélicot, but on his partner. The public prosecutor had called for 17 years’ imprisonment.
The convicted men now have 10 days to appeal. A new trial is highly likely. It will be held before a court of appeal and composed of a popular jury, unlike a criminal court where only professional magistrates sit.
This story was first published in Vanity Fair France.
