Dominique Pelicot has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for drugging his ex-wife, Gisèle, raping her, and inviting dozens of strangers to abuse her over nearly a decade.
The 72-year-old was found guilty of all charges by a judge in Avignon, southern France, and broke down in court as he received the maximum sentence.
He was tried alongside 50 other men, all of whom were convicted of at least one charge, though their sentences were shorter than what prosecutors had sought.
This marks the conclusion of France’s largest-ever rape trial, which has shocked the nation and the world over the past three months.
Speaking outside the court after the verdicts, Gisèle Pelicot, 72, described the trial as a “very difficult ordeal,” but stated that she had “never regretted” making the trial public. She hoped it would help society understand the abuse she endured.
Gisèle’s decision to waive her right to anonymity was highly unusual, allowing the public to follow the trial in full. She attended nearly every session, sitting in the same courtroom as her ex-husband, whom she divorced after 50 years of marriage.
She expressed her “profound” gratitude to her supporters and shared her belief in a “better future” where men and women could live in mutual respect.
In court, Dominique Pelicot, who had already confessed to his crimes, was found guilty of aggravated rape.
He was also convicted of attempting to rape the wife of one of his co-defendants, Jean-Pierre Marechal. Marechal, who followed Pelicot’s example by drugging and raping his wife while inviting others to do the same, was sentenced to 12 years in prison.
Pelicot was also found guilty of taking indecent images of his daughter, Caroline Darian, and his daughters-in-law, Aurore and Celine.
Caroline, who attended the court proceedings, previously stated that she felt like the “forgotten victim,” as there was no official record of the abuse she believes she suffered. Pelicot denied drugging or abusing his daughter.
After the verdicts, Pelicot’s lawyer said her client was “somewhat dazed” by the sentence and would consider whether to appeal. He has 10 days to decide.
Of the 50 co-defendants, 46 were found guilty of rape, two of attempted rape, and two of sexual assault. Most of the men on trial had denied committing rape, arguing that they did not realize Gisèle Pelicot was unconscious, thus not knowing they were raping her.
This argument sparked widespread debate in France about the legal definition of rape. The sentences for the co-defendants range from 3 to 15 years, less than the prosecutors’ requests.
In a statement to AFP, the Pelicot children expressed their “disappointment” with the “low sentences.”
From 2011, Dominique Pelicot drugged and raped his ex-wife, Gisèle Pelicot, over nearly a decade, recruiting dozens of men online to have sex with her while she was unconscious. His crimes came to light in 2020 when he was arrested for filming upskirt videos of women in a supermarket. During the investigation, police seized his devices and discovered thousands of videos on his laptop, showing around 200 rapes. Investigators used the footage to track down his co-accused, though they were unable to identify 21 additional men involved.
Dominique Pelicot admitted to the charges in 2020. The trial sparked a debate on whether France should redefine rape to include the issue of consent, similar to other European countries. Under current French law, rape is defined as “any act of sexual penetration committed against another person by violence, constraint, threat, or surprise,” meaning prosecutors must prove intent to rape. Many of the accused men claimed they did not realize Gisèle had not consented, arguing they were “tricked” by Pelicot into thinking they were engaging in a consensual threesome scenario where the woman would be asleep.
The trial also highlighted the issue of chemical submission — drug-induced sexual assault. The 50 men on trial, most of whom came from towns within a 50km radius of the Pelicot family home in Mazan, were described by defense lawyers as “ordinary people,” earning them the nickname Monsieur-Tout-Le-Monde (Mr. Everyman). These men included firefighters, lorry drivers, soldiers, a journalist, and a DJ.
The case has also brought sexual violence against women into the national conversation in France. Many have praised Gisèle Pelicot for her courage in publicly exposing the details of her abuse, with Gisèle herself stating that she wanted to “make shame swap sides” from the victim to the rapist, a phrase that has been embraced by her supporters. Despite the attention, Gisèle’s lawyer, Stéphane Babonneau, made it clear that she did not seek to be seen as an icon.
But Gisèle’s message to women was that “they have a strength in them that they can’t even imagine and that they need to trust themselves,” he added.