French Court Sentences Man to 20 Years for Orchestrating Rape of Drugged Wife by 50 Men

A French court in Avignon has sentenced Dominique Pelicot, 72, to 20 years in prison for orchestrating the rape of his ex-wife, Gisele Pelicot, by more than 50 men over nearly a decade.

The Verdict

The presiding judge, Roger Arata, delivered the guilty verdict, stating:

“Mr. Pelicot, you are found guilty of aggravated rape of Gisele Pelicot.”

Pelicot confessed to drugging his wife and arranging for strangers, recruited online, to assault her without her knowledge or consent.

A Global Symbol of Resilience

Gisele Pelicot, also 72, has emerged as a symbol of resilience and defiance. Waiving her right to a closed trial, she stood before the court and her aggressors, refusing to carry the burden of shame. Feminist activists and supporters rallied outside the courthouse, chanting slogans like “Justice for Gisele” and “Shame has Changed Sides.”

“Rape affects women all over the world, and that’s why the whole world has its eyes on what’s going to happen,” said Ghislaine Sainte Catherine of the feminist collective Amazons of Avignon.

The Other Defendants

Alongside Dominique Pelicot, 50 other men, aged 27 to 74, faced charges of aggravated rape, with prosecutors requesting sentences ranging from 10 to 18 years. One accused, on the run, is being tried in absentia, while another faces a lesser charge of groping, with a potential sentence of up to four years.

• 32 of the accused attended the trial as free men.
• The remaining defendants, including Pelicot, were in custody during the trial.

A Family’s Trauma

Gisele’s children—David, Caroline, and Florian—attended the trial, entering alongside some of the accused men who raped their mother. The case has deeply impacted the family, with the trial drawing international attention to their courage and Gisele’s fight for justice.

This landmark case has highlighted the pervasive issue of sexual violence globally, with activists lauding Gisele for her bravery in confronting her attackers and demanding accountability.