The French justice imposed this Thursday the maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for Dominique Pelicot by drug for a decade to his then wife Gisele to rape her along with dozens of strangers, at the end of a historic trial.
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He Avignon correctional courtin the south of France, He also condemned the others 50 accused has between 3 and 15 years in prison, sentences lower than those requested by the prosecution, which created discomfort among the victim’s three children.
“I respect” the sentence, he said in a brief statement to the press. Gisele Pelicotwho in three months has become a global feminist icon for rejecting a closed-door trial, to which victims are entitled, so that “shame changes sides.”
“I think of the unrecognized victims, whose stories often remain in the shadows. I want you to know that we share the same fight,” added the 72-year-old woman, wishing for “a future in which everyone, women and men, can live in harmony.”
The expectation was important this Thursday both inside and outside the Avignon Palace of Justice. Before journalists from 180 accredited media outlets –86 foreign–, the five judges of the court announced the sentences, starting with Dominique Pelicot.
“Mr. Pelicot, regarding the facts as a whole, we find you guilty of aggravated rape,” declared Roger Arata, the president of the court. Standing, the main defendant, 72 years old, did not express any emotion.
The struggle of Gisèle Pelicot
Although from the beginning of the trial the September 2 He never denied having secretly drugged between 2011 and 2020. Gisele with anxiolytics to put her to sleep and rape her along with strangers she contacted online, the announcement of the heavy punishment did affect her.
Your lawyer Beatrice Zavarro He did not rule out appealing the decision. The day before, he said to the AFP expect the court to take into account the “traumas” his client suffered during his childhood, including a rape at age 9.
The court found the others guilty. 50 prosecuted –one of them in rebellion–, despite the fact that around thirty of them asked for absolution considering that they were “manipulated” by the “monster”, the “wolf”, the “ogre”. Dominique Pelicot.
– “Thank you Gisèle!”
The sentences for the guilty
The sentences imposed, along the lines of 11.1 years on average for rape in France in 2022, They were received with disappointment outside the court, where members of feminist groups gathered. The prosecution had requested between 4 and 18 years in prison.
“Shame on justice!” some of the protesters shouted, among an important judicial device. “My client has been freed and he thanks you,” one of the defense lawyers responded.
Of the 32 accused who appeared free, six will not go directly to prison.
“The children of Gisèle and Dominique Pelicot are disappointed by the low sentences,” commented a family member, who requested anonymity, indicating that none of them wanted to speak with their father after the conviction.
The decision was followed closely in France and also abroad, where this trial and its victim became a symbol of sexual assaults on women. The accused, among 27 and 74 years old, They have diverse social profiles.
“Gisèle Pélicot has put machismo and rape culture on the spot. “His brave decision to make the trial public has made shame change sides,” the Spanish Minister of Equality commented on the social network Ana Redondo.
Gisèle Pélicot has put machismo and rape culture in the dock. His brave decision to make the trial public has caused shame to change sides. In Spain 20 years ago, the comprehensive law removed gender violence from the domestic sphere. We move forward.
— Ana Redondo (@_anaredondo_) December 19, 2024
Out of the ordinary due to its duration, the number of accused and, above all, the atrocity of the events reported, this trial has already made history.
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Laura Chabaudone of the representatives of the prosecution, hoped during the trial that it would send “a message of hope to the victims of sexual violence” and serve to achieve “change” in society.
Feminist associations also hope that the trial will change attitudes towards rape, attempted rape and sexual assault, which in France is reported by more than 200,000 women each year.
“Thank you Gisèle!” The protesters shouted this Thursday as they left the court of this woman, who in recent months gave a face to the victims of sexual assault and chemical submission.
ART
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