Main offender took part

Avignon perpetrator (63) also drugged his own wife

A courtroom sketch artist captured Gisele and Dominique Pelicot in the courtroom.(Bild: APA/AFP)

More and more horrific details are coming to light in the mega-trial in Avignon concerning the dozen-fold drugging and rape of French woman Gisele Pelicot (72). A co-defendant, who had abused the woman together with the main defendant, had done the same to his own wife.

For years, Gisele Pelicot was drugged with sleeping pills by her husband Dominique Pelicot and also left to other men for sexual abuse. One of 50 co-defendants in the spectacular case has testified in court. Jean-Pierre M. (63) had abused his own wife in the same way as the main defendant - following his instructions and with his involvement.

Main defendant provided sleeping pills
"What I have done is terrible. I expect a harsh sentence," said Jean-Pierre M. "I am a criminal and a rapist," he added. He is suspected of having drugged his wife between 2015 and 2018 with a sleeping pill that Dominique Pelicot gave him in order to then rape her together with Pelicot.

Gisele Pelicot is considered a feminist icon in France - she insisted that the case be heard in public.(Bild: APA/AFP)

Victim of co-defendant woke up several times
The two had met in an internet forum entitled "Without her knowledge", M. testified. At first, Pelicot had suggested that he rape his wife Gisele, but he had refused. He then tried out Pelicot's approach with him on his own wife. However, she woke up several times and also noticed Pelicot.

The investigators came up with at least twelve cases of rape, most of which were filmed. Pelicot was involved in ten of them.

M. reported abuse in his own childhood
"If I had not met Mr. Pelicot, it would not have happened," M. said in court. Pelicot reminded him of his father, he added. M. then described numerous acts of sexual cruelty committed by his father. He had forced him to have oral sex and to abuse his sister during his childhood. "We experienced terrible things with my father," he said.

Victim: "He was such a wonderful man"
His wife Cilia M. had already stated last week that she had not filed a complaint against her husband "to protect our five children". "It's unbelievable what he did, he was such a wonderful man," she said. She will "never forgive him".

Gisele Pelicot receives applause in court
Gisele Pelicot was once again greeted with applause at the courthouse on Wednesday. The 72-year-old has since become a feminist icon in France. She explicitly advocated that the trial should not take place in camera, "so that the shame changes sides".