Shortly before the end of the rape trial in southern France, the main defendant addressed his family again. Um Ask his ex-wife Gisèle and the rest of his family for forgivenessDominique Pelicot said in his last words in court. “I would first like to pay tribute to my wife’s courage,” said the main defendant in his closing remarks in court in Avignon on Monday. He asked his wife and his entire family to “accept my apology.” His ex-wife Gisèle Pelicot declined to respond
The 72-year-old had in the process confessedcalf She was drugged, abused and offered to rape her partner at the time for almost ten years to have. Gisèle Pelicot believes she was raped around 200 times.
In addition to Dominique Pelicot, 50 men are on trial in Avignon. Almost all of them are accused of rape. Investigators believe that a dozen more men are approaching Gisèle Pelicot. However, they could not be identified. Pelicot's ex-husband took hundreds of photos and videos of the acts.
Some co-defendants also apologized
At the end of the trial, only about 15 of the 50 co-defendants asked Gisèle Pelicot, who was raped dozens of times while she was drugged, to forgive her. “I realize what I did to you,” said a 51-year-old. A 68-year-old limited himself to a “Pardon, Madame.”
Recommended editorial content
Here you will find internal content selected by our editors, which enriches the article for you with additional information. Here you can display or hide the internal content with one click.
I agree that the external content can be displayed to me. This means that personal data can be transmitted to third-party platforms. Further information can be found in the data protection settings. You can find these at the bottom of our page in the footer, so you can manage or revoke your settings at any time.
Another defendant, who accepted Dominique Pelicot's invitation to rape his wife six times, announced that he would not appeal “out of respect for the victim” and “to spare her another trial.”
Other defendants used their latest statements to once again assert their innocence. “I am a victim of manipulation by Dominique Pelicot myself,” said a 54-year-old. Another complained that the process had “made him sick.”
Gisèle Pelicot sat alone in her seat in the courtroom. None of the three children were present to hear their father's closing remarks. As the 72-year-old left the courtroom, she was greeted, as usual, with respectful applause from those attending the court.
Verdict expected on Thursday
The mammoth trial came to an end with the defendants' last words. The Verdict becomes expected on Thursday morning. The court explained that a delay until Friday was possible. Of the defendants, 32 are currently at large.
While the public prosecutor's office demanded 20 years in prison for Dominique Pelicot and between four and 18 years in prison for the other defendants, More than half of the accused demanded an acquittal. Several lawyers said their clients had no intent to commit rape. They were convinced that they were taking part in a sex game played by a libertine couple.
Prosecutor Laure Chabaud rejected these arguments. “In 2024, no one can say, 'She didn't say anything, even she agreed,'” she explained. (dpa, AFP)
