Trial exposes a chilling saga of abuse and manipulation
This case has shocked France. The trial of 50 men accused of the rape of Gisèle Pelicot is underway. During the latest hearing, disturbing videos recorded by the victim’s husband were shown. He covered his eyes and ears, unwilling to watch them. The victim herself sat with her head against the wall and left the room after a short while.
According to the BBC, the key evidence in the trial consists of videos filmed by her husband, which were presented during the hearing. The recordings show a woman who was intoxicated and unaware of what was happening to her.
The prosecution argues that the accused must have known that the woman was not participating in the sexual acts voluntarily. Prosecutors maintain that each of the 50 men was aware that Gisèle was unconscious and unable to give consent, which makes their actions acts of intentional rape. Many of the accused defend themselves by claiming that Dominique Pelicot convinced them it was part of mutual, consensual sexual play.
During the trial, the videos recorded by Dominique Pelicot were finally shown. He himself covered his ears and eyes, unwilling to watch the recordings. Gisèle initially watched the video with her head against the wall, but left the room shortly thereafter. "I can't stand this man," she said.
In one of the earliest recordings, there was a carpenter named Vincent C., who admitted that at one point he felt "discomfort," but did not question what was happening. He expressed remorse but claimed he had no intention of committing a crime. The portal Le Monde described him as an alcoholic, drug addict, and abuser of domestic violence. He admitted to finding the ad online and thought he was "satisfying the couple," not questioning anything when he received permission for sex from the woman's husband.
Another accused stated that he is a victim of Dominique. He claims that the man told him what to do.
According to the "Daily Mail," Jerome B. testified that he initially did gardening work, and then the man offered him sex with his wife. He claimed he refused because Pelicot said the woman would be drugged.
An official, whom Pelicot found online, also reportedly refused sex. The man stated that he thought Dominique was "rambling" about drugging the woman. "It never occurred to me that he was actually giving drugs to his wife," he testified.
The defence solicitor for some of the accused, Paul-Roger Gontard, emphasised that the responsibility for the circumstances in which the men were involved rests greatly with Dominique Pelicot himself.
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