France gang rape case: In a case that shocked the world earlier this year, Frenchman Dominique Pellicote was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Thursday (December 19) for drugging and raping his wife and inviting more than 70 other men to do the same. a decade
The men, who vary in age, occupation, race and background, are said to have been invited by Dominique to sexually assault his wife Gisele at their home. He chose to leave his identity hidden for the public trial, so as to “switch embarrassing sides”.
Here’s what to know about the case, what the court ruled and how it has shaped the conversation about sexual abuse in France in recent months.
What is the case against Dominic Pellicote?
Pellicote, 72, is a retired employee of Power Company. He married Gisele in 1973 and they had three children together. According to a report in The New York TimesGisele, 72, was initially the family’s main breadwinner as a manager at a large public company. They also have grandchildren.
He first came under police radar in 2010, when he was caught photographing women’s skirts and dresses at a local market near Paris. He was arrested and fined for taking “indecent photographs”, although Gisele told the court that she had no knowledge of the incident.
In 2011, he began drugging his wife, mixing the substance in her food and drinks. Then she started experiencing long periods when she thought she was sleeping for no reason. She couldn’t even remember what she had done the previous evening, and was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.
The couple retired in 2013 and moved to Mazan, a small town in southern France. It is here that Dominic began asking strangers to come to their home after he drugged his wife, inviting them to rape her.
Police found her with more than 20,000 photos and videos in folders marked “abuse,” “her rapists,” “night alone” and other titles. However, the police only found them in 2020, when Dominique was being investigated for allegedly pulling up a woman’s skirt at another market. His phone, memory card and other electronic devices have been seized. That’s when the extent of the abuse first dawned on investigators and Gisele was called.
What happened during the hearing?
Dominic pleaded guilty to the charges against him and was found guilty on all counts. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison – the maximum possible under French law. According to BBCHe was convicted of raping his now ex-wife, attempting to rape the wife of one of his co-accused, and taking indecent photographs of his daughter and his two daughters-in-law.
Out of the 72 people involved in the crime, 50 people were identified and a case was filed through the videos and photos taken by him. Most of them denied the allegations of rape, claiming that they did not know that Gisele had taken drugs, or that they thought that she had consented to take drugs, or that they believed that her husband had consented for her.
All were convicted, some of aggravated rape, and sentenced to between five and 13 years. They have 10 days to appeal the decision.
Addressing outside court Gisele said she respects the verdict And thanked his supporters, victims’ associations and others. “I believe in our ability to collectively find a better future where women and men can live together as equals with mutual respect,” she said.
Waves across France
Many ask, “Why?” asked, expressing surprise at the fact that such a quantity had been misused and neglected for years. Because there is no common thread connecting these men, it has led to a discussion of the role played by a larger, pervasive rape culture—how society justifies and normalizes rape cases so that they are not treated as serious crimes.
Take the story of the earliest person identified by the police. A report from The Guardian Note: “…Adrien L, privately educated son of a local businessman. He is accused of raping Gisele in her bedroom in March 2014 when he was 23 and she was 62. His pregnant girlfriend gave birth to a son 10 days later. Born from a previous girlfriend. He told the court he had “hatred women” after learning his daughter was not his biological child.He was jailed for 14 years earlier this year for rape and violence against three ex-girlfriends in 2017 and 2018. He denied raping Gisele, telling investigators it was an agreed-upon scenario and that “the moment the husband was present, it was not rape.” In court, he repeated his denials, saying he did not know Gisele had taken drugs.
The case has sparked outrage around Gisele, who has called for a change in the country’s approach to crimes against women. Common ideas about who a rapist might be, who is an outsider, a stranger, and who hides in the shadows, are also challenged. In most cases worldwide, women experience violence and abuse from men they know.
Some have even called for changes to rape laws to improve the low conviction rate. The role of online platforms, including an unmoderated website that enabled Pellicott to message other men, has drawn attention, raising concerns that the crimes could take place anywhere in the world.
(with AP inputs)
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