Prosecutors in France have demanded a 20-year prison sentence, the maximum possible, for Dominique Pelicot, a 71-year-old man found guilty of orchestrating the near decade-long mass rape of his wife, Gisele, Al Jazeera reports.
The shocking case, which has captivated France and sparked international attention, involved dozens of men who participated in the abuse between 2011 and 2020.
Pelicot admitted to all charges during the trial, which has brought the issue of sexual violence into sharp focus. He repeatedly drugged his wife into unconsciousness and invited dozens of strangers to their homes in Paris and Mazan to sexually assault her. The court has viewed graphic evidence, including some 20,000 videos and pictures recorded by Pelicot himself, showing Gisele motionless while being assaulted.
Forty-nine other men, aged between 21 and 68 at the time of the assaults, are also on trial for their participation. Prosecutors are expected to announce their sentencing demands for these co-accused over the coming days. The prosecution rejected arguments from many of the accused that they believed the acts were consensual or that they were not of sound mind.
Prosecutor Chabaud stated that while 20 years is the maximum sentence for Pelicot, it is insufficient given the severity and repetition of the crimes. A 17-year sentence has been sought for Jean-Pierre Marechal, a 63-year-old man who met Pelicot on a now-defunct online forum dedicated to soliciting rape material. Marechal also admitted to drugging his own wife to facilitate the rapes by both men.
Sentencing for all accused is expected around December 20. Remarkably, Gisele Pelicot chose to have the trial made public, stating her hope that it would encourage other victims of sexual violence to come forward and help break the stigma surrounding such crimes. Her decision has already led to public rallies in her support and sparked a national debate on reforming France’s rape laws.
Current French law requires prosecutors to prove intent to rape through “violence, coercion, threat, or surprise,” but does not explicitly mention consent as a necessary element.
