Serious rape

Avignon perpetrator Pelicot found guilty

The victim Gisèle Pelicot on the day the verdict was announced in Avignon(Bild: APA/AFP)

In the historic trial in Avignon, which was followed all over the world, the verdict was announced this Thursday. The main defendant, Dominique Pelicot, was "found guilty" of the aggravated rape of his ex-wife Gisèle - as were all the other defendants.

The verdict was announced on Wednesday morning after a trial that lasted almost four months and was attended by a large number of media. "Mr. Pelicot, you are found guilty of aggravated rape against the person of Gisèle Pelicot," declared the President of the Vaucluse Criminal Court, Roger Arata.

The victim Gisèle Pelicot on the day of the verdict in Avignon(Bild: APA/AFP)

The 71-year-old main defendant receives the maximum sentence for this crime - 20 years in prison. Two thirds of this was imposed as a security sentence. This means that Pelicot must serve two thirds of his sentence in prison and cannot benefit from a change of sentence, as reported by "Le Monde".

A drawing of Dominique Pelicot in the Avignon courthouse.(Bild: AFP/Benoit PEYRUCQ)

Cyrille D., (54) received a sentence of eight years. He had raped Gisèle when his partner was on vacation with their children. Lionel R. received the same sentence: the supermarket employee (44) had the unsuspecting victim shown to him in his store before the rape so that he could see whether he found her attractive at all. The former fireman Jacques C. received five years - the 72-year-old claimed until the end that he had only touched Giséle. 

Lenient sentences for co-defendants
The sentences for the co-defendants were much more lenient - the court wanted to emphasize a clear difference between them and the main defendant Pelicot, as reported by "Le Monde". A co-defendant, who was introduced as a "student" of Pelicot, received twelve years in prison. Jean-Pierre M. was the only defendant convicted of crimes against his own wife, whom he had drugged and raped by Pelicot.

The media hype for the finale of the mega-trial was enormous.(Bild: APA/AFP )

Accused with HIV received 15 years
The HIV-infected defendant Romain V., who raped the victim six times without a condom, received a heavy sentence of 15 years. Fortunately, Gisèle was not infected due to the low viral load of the forklift driver (63). The 37-year-old Saifeddine G., who claimed that only one attempted rape occurred during the meeting with Pelicot, received only three years.

Supporters outside the courthouse: "Thank you, Gisèle"
Before the verdict was announced, numerous people gathered in front of the courthouse with banners. "Thank you, Gisèle" was written on one of them. Following the sensational trial, activists hope that "shame will change sides" when it comes to violence against women.

The President of the National Assembly in France thanked Gisele on X for her courage, saying she was the voice of many victims. "Thanks to you, the world is no longer the same," wrote the politician.

Victim Gisèle Pelicot campaigned for the trial to be held in public in order to make her ex-husband's atrocious actions visible. She thus became a symbol of the fight against violence against women.

The main defendant in the trial, Dominique Pelicot, was accused of repeatedly drugging his then wife Gisèle for almost ten years, assaulting her and offering her to dozens of strangers for rape. The 71-year-old had even filmed the acts - 200 rapes were thus uncovered.