Wife Drugged by Husband So He Could Film Her Being Rape by More Than 80 Men Forced to Watch Attack Videos Before Court Trial, Lawyer Reveals
A retired businessman is on trial in France for drugging his wife and orchestrating the rape of her by over 80 men over a decade while she was unconscious. Dominique Pélicot, 71, has confessed to mixing sleeping pills and tranquillisers into the food and drink of his wife, Gisèle, 72, as part of his heinous scheme, which also involved him participating in and filming the assaults.
At the start of the trial, which includes Pélicot and 50 men accused of raping Gisèle, the presiding judge granted her request for a public trial, including the playback of the recorded abuse. Her lawyer, Antoine Camus, stated, “For the first time, she will have to live through the rapes that she endured over ten years.” Stéphane Babonneau, another lawyer representing Gisèle, emphasized her goal to raise awareness and prevent such atrocities in the future.
The trial has sparked protests outside the court, with feminist activists calling for changes in French rape laws to explicitly define rape as any non-consensual sex, including when drugs are used to impair judgment. Current law defines rape as “penetration by violence, coercion, threat or surprise.”
Gisèle Pélicot had been experiencing memory loss and physical symptoms but was unaware of the abuse until police intervened. The investigation began after police raided their home in Mazan, finding evidence of Pélicot's predatory behavior, including filmed footage of him harassing women in public.
The Pélicots, who had been married for 40 years and have three children and two grandchildren, are now separated, and Gisèle is pursuing a divorce. The court has heard that Pélicot, a former EDF employee who later ran an electrical supplies business, used a now-closed French website to invite men to his home under the pretense of consensual encounters as part of a fantasy involving submission.
Investigators identified 92 rapes committed by 83 men, of whom 50 have been tracked down. These men, ranging in age from 26 to 74, include builders, office workers, pensioners, a soldier, a journalist, a prison guard, an electrician, and a fireman. Most have admitted to their actions, though some claimed they believed Gisèle was complicit or merely pretending to be unconscious.
Pélicot has admitted guilt but has urged his co-defendants to acknowledge their part in the crimes rather than shifting blame. He is facing a maximum sentence of 20 years for rape. Additionally, Pélicot faces charges related to an attempted rape in 1999 and a rape and murder in 1991, which were recently linked to him through DNA evidence.
Pélicot's daughter, Caroline Darian, authored a book in 2022 about her mother's case and founded the association Don’t Put Me To Sleep to raise awareness about drug-induced crimes. “This case reveals disturbing truths about our society,” Darian told Le Parisien.
French MP Sandrine Josso has been campaigning against “chemical submission” following a recent incident involving a senator charged with drugging a colleague. “Chemical submission is the perfect crime,” Josso stated.
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